Quorn care home pays tribute to Armed Forces

A care home in Quorn has organised a special poetry reading to honour wartime heroes. 

Historian and author Michael Kendrick, who lives at Care UK’s Lonsdale Mews, on Farley Way, shared a selection of texts to commemorate the 86th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

Michael, 79, was joined by his sister Maureen, who read aloud abstracts from two of his books – “Fifty Good Men and True” and “Epitaph for the Few”. The former pays tribute to the memories of the “Famous Fifty”, a group of civilian volunteers from Coalville, Leicestershire, who were the first to enlist for World War I, while the latter includes a selection of five poems. It also includes a preface from Dame Vera Lynn, as well as some poems written by Battle of Britain Wing Commander CF ‘Bunny’ Currant. 

Commenting on the afternoon, Michael said: “It was so lovely to hear my sister Maureen read my poems to everyone, they mean so much to me – the memories were wonderful.”

The event was part of a broader programme of activities designed to honour Armed Forces and support veterans, both at the home and within the community. Last year, the home received its Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF) status, an initiative launched with the aim of tackling loneliness and isolation and delivering improved health and wellbeing outcomes for over 25,000 veterans living in care homes across England.  

Jo Davison, Home Manager at Lonsdale Mews, said: “Michael only moved in recently, but it was evident from the start that honouring the Armed Forces meant a great deal to him.

“Hearing his poems read aloud to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Britain felt very special, especially for fellow residents who were in the Armed Forces themselves or knew someone who was. That’s why it’s important for us to continue to honour the memories of those who served with events like our Battle of Britain commemoration. 

“On behalf of the team that have worked hard to put this together, I’d like to say a big thank you to Michael and his family; we have all learnt a lot about local history and the Battle of Britain.”

Lonsdale Mews offers full-time residential and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. The home incorporates plenty of space for hobby and leisure activities and includes its own cinema, hair and beauty salon and pub. The layout of the building is configured into a series of individual suites, each having a dedicated lounge/dining room to facilitate the creation of close-knit communities.