Mid Winter Solstice Dinner

 I have been with my Dad for five weeks now...

Living with him in his villa at Woodcote

Retirement Village. I don't have a lot of

experience of living in retirement villages

but I have to say that I think this is one of the best.

In New Zealand we have just passed the

winter solstice. Everybody in the village

was invited to dinner... Including me!

And what a dinner and occasion it was.

 The tables were beautifully set...

 The loveliest out of season fresh flowers decorated

each table... Dark red velvet roses...

 Chocolates... Wine glasses...

Every person had a rolled up menu...

 Everybody gathered... And got themselves seated.

This is the smaller of the two dining rooms

for the people who live in the serviced apartments and

in the villas... And on this occasion, for any guests.

 

 Chatting... And waiting in anticipation...

 

 This is where I sat... 

With Dad and his friends Leo and Lex

 And here come the staff... These are the two activities

people, Christine and Louise... Today  magicians

with their magic wands...  They came bounding

in to much laughter and applause...

Bearing gifts of wine, bubbles and other drinks...

 This is Mouse. He lives in the rest home

but had decided to dress up and join the fun...

 Here is Liz... Another magician bearing bubbles...

 Which she proceeded to pour into everybody's glass.
Liz is the manager of Woodcote

and I can't sing her praises highly enough.

The most wonderful person who turns

this retirement complex into a village family. 

This dinner is the 'family' Christmas dinner - mid winter-

because everybody is 'at home'. Not like mid summer 

Christmas when lots of people are away...

 Christine is 'doing things' with her magic wand

as dinner arrives on the big trolley... Sharyn in

charge of all that... Another amazing staff member.

Sharyn looks after the people in the serviced

apartments and this dining room. She knows

all the people and all their likes and dislikes. 

 Every meal has hot gravy poured on... Cranberry sauce

for those who want it... And served with a smile.

 Dinner was superb... Menu above...

 Christmas plum pudding served with custard

(I don't like custard) and lashings of cream...

And several refills of bubbles...
And chocolates to eat if you had room!
Very replete it was time to move on...
To the rest home dining room to watch the
'real' magician for some magical moments...


Josh Grimaldi...

 He was very clever... Louise

his willing? helper... In the box is a glass

of water... tipped up and over and every

which way... But no water fell out.

Marilyn... who looks after about 25 people

in one end of the rest home...

She is about to have her head chopped off...

But miraculously when the blade falls... Her

 head is intact...Mmmm... How does Josh do this?

He was highly entertaining for an hour or so...And of course

the trick everyone was waiting for... The white rabbit that

appeared in this cage where previously there had been

a white dove that magically appeared in a silver roasting  dish when 

the  lid was lifted then was put in the cage so it couldn't fly away...

It disappeared to be replaced by the rabbit... Amazing.

Josh very kindly took the rabbit around so everybody could 

stroke it... It was very placid and not at all perturbed

when one old man picked it up by its feet and 

wanted to take it home... Josh wasn't having a bar of that

though... He wasn't going to part with his magic rabbit.

It was a very special and fun day. I congratulate

all the staff for the amazing effort they put into

making sure everyone had such a great time.