Frome care home hosts ‘antique roadshow’ event

A care home in Frome invited residents and locals to bring their family heirlooms to be evaluated in an Antiques Roadshow-inspired event.

Care UK’s Rossetti House, on Welshmill Lane, hosted their ‘Rossetti Roadshow’ with help from auctioneer and valuer Rachel Boothroyd, who was on hand to evaluate precious antiques and valuables from the community.

Amanda Ralph, resident at Rossetti House, said: “It was a wonderful opportunity to share one of my most treasured possessions, a folk art-style wooden music box in the form of a merry-go-round that was given to me when I was just two years old.

“The valuers found it difficult to identify many similar examples, but after some research, they believed it was likely to be German and made by a company called Erzgebirge.

“Although it isn’t worth thousands of pounds, it is absolutely priceless to me. It has been by my side for almost my entire life and holds so many precious memories.”

Phil Vale, Home Manager at Rossetti House said: “Many residents at Rossetti House are huge fans of Antiques Roadshow, so we were so excited to be organising our own version of the event; I’m pleased to say our first ever ‘Rossetti Roadshow’ was a hit!

“We’re always looking for new ways to support residents in leading fulfilling lives, and sparking conversations surrounding their most treasured items was a wonderful way to do that.

“I’d like to extend a huge thank you to Rachel for lending us her expertise on the day and to everyone who brought along their prized possessions to be examined – it was wonderful to see the range of gorgeous antiques our community had to offer!”

Rossetti House provides full-time residential, dementia and nursing care, as well as short-term respite care, in a luxury setting. Designed to enable residents to lead active and fulfilling lives, while also promoting independence, the home incorporates plenty of space for hobby and leisure activities, including its own cinema, hair and beauty salon and café. The building has been designed to facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents.