Cleves Place gets in party mood to remember VE Day

Home news

May 26, 2015

Residents of Cleves Place and members of the Cleves Club in Haverhill turned out in big numbers to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day.

The care home team laid on a street party – like many residents would have done for VE Day itself – though this time it was indoors in the Cleves Place coffee shop.

The sounds and tastes of the 1940s got residents and day club members in the mood remembering the jubilant day, seventy years ago, that, in one resident’s words “seemed to go on for ever”. Andrew Mussett, support chef to Care UK’s Suffolk homes, found a street party menu online and worked with the home team to bring residents typical wartime foods, including spam sandwiches, sausage rolls, and brown bread ice cream.

Tracie Thomson, a carer at the care home, says, “The cafe was decorated in flags, bunting and balloons which had been kindly donated by the Haverhill Branch of the British Legion. We also had wartime CDs playing all day to set the mood.

The sandwiches in particular were a big hit with everyone as many residents and club members remember eating spam sandwiches when they were young. The homemade brown bread ice cream was really delicious too.

“There was a lot of singing and laughter but we had so many people enjoying the party that there wasn’t much room to dance! There was a lot of reminiscing about VE day, when many people remembered a lot of laughter and celebrating with neighbours, friends and family at a street party.”