Happy Birthday from St Johns

St John’s Care Home in Melrose had a special party in early March, to celebrate the 103^rd anniversary of one of the lovely residents, Mary. Wellness coordinator Denise told us about how Mary spent the day.

“Mary is a remarkable lady – an absolute gem with a great sense of humour. She loves to read magazines and newspapers in her room, and like many of the St John’s residents, enjoys her privacy and doing individual activities. But on her birthday, she was very excited, had her hair and makeup done, and came downstairs for lunch.”

Before lunch, residents gathered for tea and cake and Mary received flowers, which she loves, and Mary’s niece Sue also visited with family. “Sue is a great friend of St Johns – she’s an artist and always paints us a card at Christmas. Mary had two birthday cakes, one minus milk and egg, as some our residents are diabetic or have allergies. We often have cakes donated by Kate from the Abbey View Café, who knows what the residents enjoy.”

After lunch, it was time for a concert with favourite accordionist Bill, including ‘Happy Birthday to Mary’. “Bill is one of the musicians in Perfect Harmony, who give our residents five concerts a year,” says Denise. “He has a deep Scottish voice and knows all the old Scottish songs. He’s in his 70s and has a great rapport with the residents. Some of them know him from their younger days.”