It was an unforgettable afternoon of nostalgia and celebration on 14 September, as residents of George Sautelle House, Farrer, opened doors to their very own corner shop.
The shop will be run and managed exclusively by residents of the aged care facility, providing a sense of purpose, a great place to socialise and stay active, access to small luxury items, and a chance to make some money for themselves.
“It’s lovely to see everyone so happy and excited today. Celebration is in the air!”, said resident, Garry Tansley.
The retro theme for the event was a throwback to the 70s. Everything from the vintage shopfront design all the way to the classic summertime ice cream sodas, and colourful decorations and goodies were designed to evoke nostalgia. “I welcome you all to the opening of Village Shoppe”, said Manager of Operations for Farrer, Jo Perry as she kicked off the event. “A special thanks to Tuggeranong Bunnings and South Canberra Veterans Shed for their fantastic support with the decoration and set-up”. Trish Jefcoate, Activities Officer Farrer, then came on and read out a beautiful poem written by the residents, before inviting Ivy Drew, the resident shopkeeper, to perform the official opening.
With the cut of the ribbon, the party started. The MC and music performer for the event, Phil Major, kicked off the afternoon in style with a modern rendition of the festive 80s track, “Celebration”. That set the tone for what was to follow. Song after song, the nostalgia built up, and within no time, the residents were on their feet, swinging and grooving to the tunes of timeless ABBA classics, “Dancing Queen” and “Mamma Mia”. But it was our resident, Margaret Johnson, who stole the show with her harmonica performance and ageless dance moves!
Amidst all the excitement, there were moving scenes of camaraderie and companionship, as residents and staff flocked around to comfort Mr. Gordon Abbott, who couldn’t hold his tears of joy on seeing everyone unite to the patriotic number, “We are Australian”, from the confines of his bed.
It was a truly memorable afternoon, underscored by great hospitality, entertainment, and camaraderie. “I will never forget it”, said Trish.