News
Our Christmas party
We all got together in the local village hall to celebrate Christmas
with poems, readings, songs, and a festive feast. Our residents
received gifts and we all enjoyed a warm sense of community in the
beautifully decorated hall, filled with Christmas music and excited
chatter and laughter. Included here are also some photos of the
decorations in our houses and the biscuits and chutneys we made for
Christmas.
Our November gathering
After celebrating Hallowe'en in our three houses, with autumnal
displays and home-made pumpkin soup, we came together on November 1st to
connect with the origins of this festival, which lie in the old autumn tradition of
reflecting on those who've gone before us. We gathered to sing a
song and hear a reading and a poem before sitting quietly together by the
light of 40 candles to respectfully remember loved ones.
Thomas Centre Holiday, October 2017
The Thomas Centre is located in the heart of the Lincolnshire
tourist region. It offered some wonderful on-site activities such as
swimming, an outdoor adventure playground and green space, a sensory room
and some super arts and crafts spaces. The residents also visited Lincoln
to enjoy its tea rooms, country parks, and churches.
Butlins Holiday, October 2017
Butlin’s Minehead resort is located in the heart of Exmoor in Somerset
and offered our residents activities such as exploring the beach, visiting
the zoo, attending theatre shows, and socialising in the local
restaurants.
Stackpole Holiday, September 2017
Stackpole’s resort is located close to the Pembrokeshire Coast
Line and offered our residents activities such as coastline walks, beach
adventure, and trips to the waterpark. There was also time to
explore the nearby towns and villages, visiting a few fascinating churches
along the way.
Stretton Lakes Holiday, 2017
Stretton Lakes is located within 120 acres of farmland in the
county of Rutland. The location offered some wonderful local walks, and
back at the lodges there was no better way to relax than in our personal
hot tubs. When out in the local area the residents experienced the
Rutland Water boat cruise, visited pubs and restaurants, and enjoyed a
sunny day at Hunstanton Beach.
Sherwood Castle Holiday, August 2017
Sherwood Castle nestles deep in 40 acres of woodland in the heart
of beautiful Robin Hood Country. The Centre offered wonderful
on-site activities such as swimming, an outdoor adventure playground, mini
golf, tennis and basketball courts, and some lovely forest walks. In
addition the residents attended a Robin Hood themed festival, visits to
the local towns, and a trip to the Peak District for some mountain
adventure.
Harvest Festival at William Blake House
We celebrated Harvest this year with a big get-together in the village
hall. We danced, sang songs, and the whole community enacted a
delightful story about the cycle of the year from sowing to harvesting.
Afterwards we ate home-made soup and cakes together. The hall was
beautifully decorated with our own produce from the Blakesley garden as
well as other fruit and vegetables, floral displays, and six scarecrows
we'd specially made for the occasion.
Birds of prey at William Blake House
Some owl keepers visited us in April and gave our staff and residents
close-up encounters with their fascinating birds.
Our new fundraising page at Just Giving
We now have a page on the Just Giving website via which one-off or regular donations can be made towards our ongoing projects such as our garden and our sensory room.
We'll keep you updated as we move towards the completion of these exciting new developments.
Here is the link to our Just Giving page:
Spring at William Blake House
Spring flowers, first blossom, sprouting beans, and watercolour
paintings - some of the signs that spring is here!
Robin Hood and the Archery Competition
Here our storyteller leads a group of residents and staff through a
dramatic reenactment of one of Robin's most famous adventures.
Pancake Day 2017
We celebrated pancake day with an indoor sports session in which the
prizes for each event were... pancakes!
The Wednesday Music Club
We have monthly discos, relaxation music sessions, and folk dancing in
our Wednesday Music Club, plus special events like our recent Valentine's
Day dance, pictured here.
Indoor Sports at William Blake House
We have an indoor sports session every week. Activities include
football, throwing beanbags, passing games, relay races, ball rolling, and
stretches. It's good fun for all!
Our houses, Autumn 2016
We've had some beautiful interior and exterior photographs taken of our three houses for a magazine feature. We thought we'd share some of them with you here.
Holiday in Wales, Summer 2016
Two male residents enjoyed a holiday in Nantmor, North Wales.
There were lots of outdoor activities including woodland walks and a scenic steam train ride.
Stretton Lakes Holiday 2015
Two male residents enjoyed a week's holiday at Stretton Lakes in May 2015.
Accompanied by a small group of staff and volunteers, they explored the surrounding area and took a trip on the Nene Valley Railway.
Getting out and about in spring
Fresh air and exercise are essential elements of the healthy lifestyle enjoyed at William Blake House.
Here are a few photos from our visit to a bluebell wood, a healthy walk, feeding geese, petting rabbits, our quails and chickens, walking with animals, and a morris dance in a nearby village.
The Gruffalo
As part of our Easter celebrations, we put on a performance of The Gruffalo.
This fun story was read, sung and acted by several of our staff and residents for the enjoyment of the whole community.
Easter 2015
With animal masks, home-baked cakes, and plenty of chocolate eggs, we all had a lovely morning in our local village hall to celebrate Easter this year.
Parsifal Performance, December 2014
Staff and residents worked hard for several months on this project - a dramatic performance of Parsifal, a mediaeval poem centred around an Arthurian knight's quest for the Grail. It strongly features humility, compassion and sympathy, and is a story with great relevance to our Anthroposophical community.
The whole community came together to enjoy the impressive performance in our local village hall.
Center Parcs Holiday 2014
Fresh air, exercise, and fun on the water were the order of the day at this year's holiday at Center Parcs in Woburn Forest, Bedfordshire.
Four residents and a group of staff and volunteers had an exciting and active holiday together, and the good weather held out for them.
Community Activities 2014
Trampolining, folk dancing, and llama trekking are just a few of the regular activities enjoyed by the William Blake House community.
Nantmor Holiday 2014
Here are photos from another William Blake House community holiday at the Nantmor Mountain Centre in North Wales.
A group of residents, staff, and volunteers enjoyed a range of outdoor activities and beautiful scenery.
Stretton Lakes Holiday 2014
Two male residents enjoyed a holiday at Stretton Lakes near Rutland Water in May 2014.
Undeterred by the occassional grey sky, they had loads of fun along with a small group of staff and volunteers.
Hallowe'en 2013
The staff, volunteers, and residents of William Blake House celebrated Hallowe'en in style again this year!
We had a party in the local village hall with costumes, masks, fun and games, and plenty of laughter.
Marking annual festivals and seasonal events is a big part of life at William Blake House, and these parties always provide great opportunities for the whole community to get together and have a good time.
Nantmor Holiday 2013
Two male residents had a holiday at Nantmor Mountain Centre in the heart of the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales in October 2013.
They stayed in a comfortable cottage nestling in the mountains and enjoyed outings to a beach, a castle, a museum, and a steam railway.
Stretton Lakes Holiday 2013 (3)
We took another trip to Stretton Lakes in September 2013.
Holidays are an important part of life at William Blake House, and to make the experience as rich as possible, we take multiple holidays every year with just a few residents each time.
Stretton Lakes Holiday 2013 (2)
In July 2013, another two male residents enjoyed a holiday at Stretton Lakes near Rutland Water.
Stretton Lakes is a destination we use regularly for our residents' holidays as it offers a range of activities for all weathers and has wheelchair-accessible cabins and facilities.
Center Parcs Holiday 2013
In June 2013, several female residents went on holiday to Center Parcs in Suffolk.
They enjoyed their chalet accommodation, walks around the park, swimming, tenpin bowling, and getting close to the wildlife.
Have a look at these photos of various activities and bold animal visitors!
Stretton Lakes Holiday 2013 (1)
In May 2013, a group of male residents, staff and volunteers went on holiday to Stretton Lakes near Rutland Water.
As you'll see from these photographs, they had a lot of fun.
They were very lucky with the weather and were able to enjoy a lot of time outdoors, exploring nearby towns, shopping, visiting a preserved railway, and relaxing in the beautiful countryside.
Duxford Trip 2013
Six residents recently enjoyed a day out at The Imperial War Museum at Duxford, Cambridgeshire.
They found the collection of aircraft fascinating and enjoyed trying on flying jackets and aviation goggles for the interactive parts of the displays.
The staff and volunteers who accompanied them had a good time too!
Easter Celebrations 2013
This Easter (2013) we brightened the houses with spring-themed decorations and we painted eggs with all manner of faces, greetings, and patterns.
The dining table in Farm Cottage was set for a special Easter lunch which was enjoyed by a group of residents, staff, and volunteers.
The was an egg hunt in the garden and the residents enjoyed looking for brightly painted eggs among the trees and plants.
Hallowe'en Party 2012
To celebrate Hallowe'en (2012), we held a party in the Village Hall with monstrous make-up, creepy costumes, pumpkin lanterns, huge cobwebs, and a delicious Hallowe'en pumpkin cake made by the residents.
There was dancing, laughter, and plenty of screaming! Here are some terrifying photographs to show you what a frightful time we had.
Stretton Lakes Holiday 2012
In September 2012 two male residents went to stay in log cabins (specially equipped for wheelchairs) at Stretton Lakes near Rutland Water. The holiday included many activities and meals out as well as a trip to the Space Centre on the way home.
Olympic BBQ 2012
To celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, our volunteers and residents have been holding their own William Blake House Games in their Tuesday morning indoor sports sessions.
Sports have included throwing balls at targets, distance throwing tournaments, and relay races.
At a recent barbecue lunch, the residents were awarded their medals. The sun shone, good food was enjoyed by all, and we also used this special occasion to mark the 22nd birthday of our newest resident.
Pembrokeshire Holiday 2012
In August 2012 a group of four male residents went to stay in a National Trust centre called Stackpole in Pembrokeshire. During their time there they visited a castle and also took a boat trip from Tenby to see the monastery on Caldey Island.
Center Parcs Holiday 2012
Three of our female residents went to stay in Center
Parcs in Suffolk in May 2012. They enjoyed swimming and walking and meals out in
Café Rouge as well as visits to the pancake house.
William Blake House 10th Anniversary 2011
In October 2011 we celebrated the 10th anniversary of William Blake House. Residents, staff, volunteers, managers, trustees, residents' parents and some of our therapists all came together on a beautifully sunny afternoon for an al fresco lunch at our house in Blakesley.
It was a great opportunity for everyone to enjoy the recently completed new garden layout which provided the perfect setting for this joyful and very special occassion.
