Woodcote News Woodcote Retirement Village • Winter edition 2018
Royal Birthday Celebrating the Queen’s birthday in style
Meet Barbara
Mother’s Day
Weka train trip
Greetings from Liz... Hello and welcome to the winter edition of Woodcote News. Thank goodness we are over half way through winter. I hope you are keeping warm and well. Our residents are loving their new panel convection heaters as they radiate a cosy heat. Somehow Gavin, our gardener, manages to make the gardens look lovely and colourful, even in winter! I love the new Pink Ericas – they look stunning against the white walls. Recently we had a fun afternoon with a cultural dance, which included Scottish dancing, line dancing, Indian dance and ballet. I think the highlight was the belly dancer, although I was a bit anxious when she did a dance while balancing a sword on her head!
They say; “time flies when you are having fun,” which is certainly true at Woodcote. Have a look at the photos in this newsletter and on our noticeboard to see our Mother’s Day celebration, quiz afternoon, Anzac Day service, Queen’s Birthday celebration and Winter Wonderland Solstice Dinner. Please pop in and say hi – talking to residents and relatives is my favourite part of the job. Kind regards,
Liz Hampton Village Manager
Quiz time! Recently we held a quiz afternoon at the village. We had five teams of four who answered questions about sport, music, entertainment, and general knowledge. The Mac Cheesies took the top prize with the Townhouse Terrors second and the Woodcote Wizards third. Well done! Pictured: Gwyneth Bryden and Lorraine SmitheramBaylis with staff at the quiz afternoon. Claire
Liz Hampton Village Manager Ph: 03 349 8788 Call Liz for general enquiries or for information about resthome care.
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Claire Poulsen Sales Advisor Ph: 03 338 7696 Talk to Claire for information about townhouses or serviced apartments.
Queen’s birthday celebrations We were honoured to welcome the queen (townhouse resident Madeline Cassey) to the village on her birthday. Accompanying her on her visit was the royal corgi and her lady-in-waiting (Diversional Therapist Christine Tweedie). The queen looked stunning and she really enjoyed the occasion. The residents loved meeting and greeting our special guest. The queen stayed for a cup of Devonshire tea before embarking on a tour of the village, greeting the residents as she passed. Everyone then had the chance to show their royal knowledge by competing in the royal quiz. Above: Resident Jennifer Cole with Madeline Cassey. Pictured: Madeline Cassey as the queen for the day.
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It’s got to be
good enough for Mum In May 2018 Kevin Hickman announced he was standing down from the board of Ryman, ending 34 years of service at the company. There is no doubt that Ryman Healthcare would not be the company it is today without Kevin, and everyone at Ryman wishes him all the best with his retirement. The Ryman story began back in 1983, when Kevin was a former policeman turned private detective. He was asked to investigate a resthome fire in Christchurch, and he did not like what he saw. “The fire was in an old villa and there were four people to a room all with shared toilets,’’ Kevin recalls. “To me it was crazy, the standards were so poor. But that’s how resthomes were in those days.’’ Kevin would never dream of putting his mother into a place like that if she needed to go into care. “I thought, what would I want for Mum?” And so, Ryman’s philosophy that care has to be “good enough for Mum” was born. Kevin teamed up with John Ryder, an accountant, and together they made a dynamic pair. Ryman – a combination of Ryder and Hickman – Healthcare was registered and they bought their first property to convert into a resthome in 1984.
“I thought, what would I want for Mum?” As well as providing care that was better than anywhere else, the company had to be sustainable, with its systems constantly refined and improved upon. The size of the villages and the facilities offered may have changed over the past 30 years, but Ryman’s core philosophy remains the same. Care is still at the heart of what we do. And it’s got to be good enough for Mum. Or Dad!
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Italian meatballs Meatballs 500g Mince beef 1 Onion diced 2 tbsp Fresh thyme 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 Egg 1/2 cup Breadcrumbs Salt & Pepper
A note from Ryman chef,
Sugo sauce 1/2 Onion, diced 1tbsp Garlic 1 tbsp Basil, chopped 1/4 cup Red wine
400g Tinned crushed tomatoes 1 Bay leaf 500ml Beef stock
Method • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. • Combine all the meatball ingredients with the beef mince and mix well, then roll them into golf ball size portions. • Fry all the meat balls in a semi deep fry pan to seal the meat, and place them onto a baking tray. • Use the same deep fry pan to sauté the onion, garlic, basil and bay leaf, then deglaze with red wine and add the crushed tomatoes and beef stock. • Once the sauce starts bubbling, pour over the meatball tray. • Cover with baking paper and foil and cook for 2 hours. • Serve hot on a bed of mashed potatoes. • Serves 4-5.
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Lawrence Slow cooked Italian meatballs are a resident favourite at our Weary Dunlop Retirement Village. It’s a hearty dish that blends well with our new Harvest menus, and residents love the texture and flavour. Furthermore, it’s a healthy option and is easy to prepare. You simply combine the ingredients and let the oven do the cooking – leaving more time to spend with your loved ones. Weary Dunlop chef Lawrence with resident Enid McCauley
Resident Profile
Meet Barbara
After I left school, I worked in the office of Bond and Bond in Te Kuiti. I later moved to Hamilton and worked as a waitress in a hotel – a job I loved. I worked there until I met my first husband Des Ruff. Des was a wonderful dancer. As a mother of six, I did housework for other people to earn extra money. I was very involved in my childrens’ lives and served on the kindergarten committee for some years. We lived in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch. Sadly, Des died at a young age. I met my second husband, Merv, in the early 1970s. From 1978 to 2008 I played outdoor bowls at the Hornby Working Men’s Club. I held positions of chairperson and treasurer and was awarded life membership in 2008. I was also a very successful 10-pin bowler and won many trophies with my granddaughter, Maree.
Dancing is still very much present in my life. I am proud to say that I can still dance at the age of 86! Hello, my name is Barbara Milne and I was born in Ohura, King Country. I attended school in Te Kuiti. I played a lot of sport at school but mostly enjoyed netball, or basketball as we used to call it back in the day. However, my great passion from a young age was dancing, especially tap dancing, the highland fling, and the Irish jig.
Dancing is still very much present in my life. I am proud to say that I can still dance at the age of 86! I have happy feet and if I hear music my feet start tapping. I moved into the resthome at Woodcote earlier this year but I still teach line dancing at the village. I love the staff here and I am really enjoying Triple A – because it’s like dancing!
Mother’s Day Mother’s Day celebrations are always spectacular at the village. We love making our mothers feel special. Everyone in the resthome, including the men, were invited to a special morning tea in the dining room. The tables were beautifully decorated with lace table cloths, and decked with china and pink roses.
The tiered cake stands overflowed with delicious slices and savouries. The women were also treated to an aromatic hand massage. Pictured: Residents Rob and Jean Waldron at our Mother’s Day tea.
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Anzac Day
Men’s Club
The memorial service was quite moving this year with John Jennings officiating, while Roy Bryden played on the organ. Resident Isobel Marsh and Caregiver Helen Francis created beautiful wreaths for the service.
Recently the gentlemen from the Men’s Club enjoyed an outing to Sumner beach. After exploring the area they decided a visit to the Salt restaurant for a drink was just the thing to end a relaxing afternoon.
Pictured: Isobel and Helen had a great time chatting while making the wreaths.
Above: The gentlemen raise a glass in salute of a fantastic afternoon out.
Staff Profile
Introducing Nancy
Hello, my name is Nancy and I was born in Yorkshire in 1960. I had a great childhood growing up in a small mining town called Barnsley. At my sister’s wedding I met a handsome man in uniform who swept me off my feet and eleven months later, I married Paul. Paul was in the RAF for 18 years and on average we moved every two years!
I just love my job and it is a privilege to come to work every day.
In 1980, I attended secretarial college and since then I have worked in various administration and receptionist roles.
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Paul and I have a daughter Rebecca and we have one grandchild, Maia. We immigrated to New Zealand 20 years ago and became citizens in 2009. We now call Christchurch home. I joined the team at Woodcote in 2013 as a receptionist. Woodcote is homely and the staff are supportive and friendly. I just love my job and it is a privilege to come to work every day. Seeing the residents content and happy is what it’s all about.
Weka Pass trip A group of residents headed out to Woodend where we met up with residents from two of our sister villages; Margaret Stoddart and Ngaio Marsh, to embark on a great day out. We boarded the train at the Glenmark Station in Waipara. The train ride offered stunning views and scenery as we headed through the pass to Waikari. Once there, we stayed on the train for a picnic lunch. Some residents wandered off after lunch to explore. After an hour of exploring and taking photos, it was time to board the train for home. It was such a wonderful day that many suggested that we do so again, and so we did!
Upcoming events August
August
1–31
24
Wellness month
Scam Savvy presentation
September
October
03
30
Father’s Day picnic
Life without a car talk
29 Woodcote Avenue, Hornby
www.woodcote.co.nz