January Newsletter

Some of the great food choices on offer throughout January

1st of January 

A Cheerful Start to the New Year! 🥂

This morning, Kath, Jessie, and Liz enjoyed a lively game of Ludo and a lovely chat with Demilynn 😊. Later in the day, Hugh and Brian went head-to-head in a spirited game of dominoes!

To cap off the day, we shared a wee tipple together, celebrating the New Year in great company. Smiles, laughter, and cheers filled the room as we raised our glasses to fresh beginnings and happy days ahead.

From all of us here, wishing everyone a very happy and healthy New Year! 🎉✨

5th of January 

Today, Kath, Jessie, Liz and Hugh enjoyed a game of Large Wordle to kick off our Mind, Body & Soul Week 🧠✨
A great way to start the week, by getting the mind working.

7th of January 

🌟 Day Three of Mind, Body & Soul Week! 🌟

We started the day with some gentle stretching and exercises, set to some relaxing background music — the perfect way to wake up the body and mind.

In the afternoon, our regular visitor Jessica went head-to-head with Hugh for a friendly game of dominoes 

As part of our week’s activities, we also created a cosmic relaxation room, giving everyone a little space to unwind and let their minds drift among the stars. ✨🪐

8th of January 

A Special Visit from Nico! 🐾

We had a very special visitor yesterday! Fiona’s daughter brought along her adorable new puppy, Nico. All wrapped up in his cosy little blankie, Nico stole the hearts of everyone he met. It was lovely to see so many smiles as our residents enjoyed some puppy cuddles and a bit of furry fun! 🐶💛

9th of December

Day 5 of our Mind, Body and Soul Week was all about connection — whether that was through a virtual walk in nature, connecting with the world around us, sharing time with loved ones via video call, or enjoying a visit in person.

Marjory had a lovely visit from her daughter, while Liz Garner enjoyed a video call with her son David. Mhairi connected with her daughter Lindsay, and Jimmy experienced his very first video call with his cousin Fiona. Liz Jackson also had a special video call with her daughter all the way from New Zealand, who kindly got up early at 6am her time to take part.

It was a fantastic day filled with stories, smiles, and heart-warming moments, watching our residents’ faces light up as their families appeared on the screen 💙

10th of January 

Today Rosina and Robert celebrate fifty years of marriage. Congratulations from all the staff and residents at the Ardnahein ♥️

11th of January 

13th of January.

Today we celebrated Hugh’s special day with a delicious birthday cake and some lovely gifts. 🎂🎁

Happy Birthday, Hugh, from everyone at Ardnahein.💙

This morning, residents got their minds working with a fun challenge: seeing how many sauces, herbs, spices, and condiments they could come up with. 🧠🌿 It was a fantastic way to spark conversation, laughter, and a little friendly competition.

In the afternoon, Hugh and Brian joined in the fun for Rubber Duck Day 🦆. Using straws, they raced their ducks across the basin to see who would reach the other side first.

16th of January 

Generous Visitors & Crafternoon Creativity

A massive thank you to Mr Mitchell and the pupils from Dunoon Grammar School, who kindly brought down a new game for our residents to enjoy. Ian and Mhairi had a fantastic time giving it a go, sharing laughter and fun along the way! 😊

🎨 Crafternoon Club ✂️

Today at our Crafternoon Club, residents created a special card for our maintenance man, Stephen, who recently had an operation. Using felt letters and lots of care, every detail was filled with warm wishes.

It brought a big smile to Stephen’s face when it was delivered — a lovely reminder of the thoughtfulness and creativity of our residents. 💙

17th of January 

🎉🎂 Audrey’s Birthday Celebration 🎂🎉

Today we celebrated Audrey’s birthday with a very special afternoon tea. 🫖🍰
There were plenty of tasty treats, smiles, and lovely conversations as we marked her special day together.

Happy Birthday, Audrey, from everyone here at Ardnahein we hope you had a wonderful day.

18th of January 

The Story Behind the Photo 📸

This afternoon was spent sharing a truly special moment as we looked through some of the treasured old photographs our residents keep in their rooms. Each photo sparked memories, conversations, and wonderful stories from times gone by.

It was a lovely way to reminisce, reflect, and get to know more about the lives and experiences that make each resident so unique. An afternoon filled with smiles, laughter, and heartfelt memories 💬❤️

20th of January 

☕🍰 Out and About with Jimmy

This morning, Jimmy enjoyed a lovely walk down to the boathouse, where he treated himself to coffee and cake. A relaxing outing and a great way to start the day. ☕🍰

🐧 Penguin Day at Ardnahein 🐧

To celebrate Penguin Day, residents enjoyed watching a fantastic slideshow put together by Allan, sharing photographs from his brother’s work trip a few years ago. The journey took us from the Falkland Islands all the way to Antarctica, allowing everyone to travel the world from the comfort of home.

The breathtaking views and incredible wildlife were a big hit — especially the penguins! 🐧

It sparked lots of interest, conversation, and smiles, making it a truly enjoyable and memorable afternoon.

21st of January 

Kenny Wilson, entertained residents, families, and staff this afternoon with a wonderful mix of Burns Night classics and traditional Scottish favourites. 🏴

There was plenty of dancing, lots of smiles, and a fantastic atmosphere enjoyed by all. It was lovely to see everyone joining in and celebrating together.

A huge thank you to Kenny for another brilliant afternoon of music and memories — we’re always so grateful for your visits. 🖤💙

23rd of January 

Poetry & Parchment 📜☕

This morning, Brian, Margaret, and Ian chose their favourite poems by Rabbie Burns. We carefully wrote them out by hand before using tea bags to stain the paper, transforming it into beautiful old-style parchment.

It was a lovely, creative morning filled with poetry, memories, and a touch of Scottish tradition. It was wonderful to see everyone enjoying the process and bringing the words of Rabbie Burns to life in such a special way. 💙📖

🎙️ Ardnahein Residents Podcast 🎙️

Welcome to Ardnahein, where stories matter and voices are celebrated. 💙

From our beautiful home, we’re sharing the memories, laughter, and life experiences of our wonderful residents through our very own podcast.

Each episode is a chance to sit back, listen, and get to know the incredible people who make Ardnahein such a special place — from tales of growing up and working life to family stories and the moments that shaped them.

Real stories. Real voices. Real memories.

🎧 Today’s episode: Kath sat down with our Activities Coordinator, Allan, for a lovely chat filled with memories and reflections.

The episode is now available to listen to on our YouTube channel.

24th of January 

Burns Night Build-Up & Memories Shared

With Burns Night fast approaching, we enjoyed a cheeky Scottish culture quiz this afternoon. After some friendly competition, Mavis was victorious — her first ever quiz win! 🎉

Take a bow, Mavis!

We also spent time sharing a story in a picture with Margaret, looking through photographs from years gone by. These treasured images mean a great deal to our residents and sparked heart-warming conversations and memories, each with a special story to tell ❤️

A lovely afternoon filled with laughter, pride, and meaningful moments.

25th of January 

This afternoon we held our annual Burns Supper, and what a fantastic celebration it was!
A massive thank you to our incredible piper Duncan McLeod, who piped all the residents into the dining room and truly set the scene for a special afternoon 🎶🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

It was then time for the Address to the Haggis, which was delivered brilliantly by Brian, while Hugh did the honours and sliced the haggis with great style 👏

After our Burns Supper, we were treated to a wonderful performance by the amazing David Gillan, who came in to Highland dance for us. a perfect end to a memorable celebration 💃✨

A lovely afternoon enjoyed by all. Slàinte! 🥂

26th of January 
🇦🇺 Australia Day Fun at Ardnahein 🇦🇺

This morning, our residents enjoyed a relaxing colouring activity, decorating kangaroos as part of our Australia Day celebrations. It was a calm and creative way to start the day, with plenty of concentration and smiles all round.

In the afternoon, the celebrations continued with lots of laughter as residents, staff, and visitors took part in our “Pin the Nose on the Koala” challenge 🐨

There were some very interesting attempts and plenty of giggles along the way — a lovely way to spend the afternoon together and celebrate Australia Day.

27th of January 

This afternoon we played a Celebration Sweet Dice game 🍬🎲
Everyone started with four sweets, then took turns rolling the dice. The first person to reach ten sweets was the winner and of course, the prize was getting to enjoy one of the chocolates! 😄🍫

29th of January 

Puzzle Day

It was Puzzle Day at Ardnahein, with both residents and staff getting involved. From jigsaws to brain teasers, everyone enjoyed keeping the grey matter active and having a bit of fun along the way.

A great way to spend time together while keeping minds sharp and spirits high! 🧩💙

30th of January 

This afternoon, some of our gents headed over to the Park Hotel for a well-earned pint and enjoyed a few games of dominoes. It was a lovely afternoon filled with good company, plenty of laughter, and a bit of friendly competition.

We finished off the day the best way possible — with a classic Friday chippy tea, because nothing beats that! 🍟🐟

31st of January

We had some very happy news to share today as Mhairi is going to be a great-granny again! 💖

Huge congratulations to Mhairi and her family on this wonderful occasion — such a joyful moment for everyone.

Our residents also enjoyed putting their local knowledge to the test, reminiscing about the old shops that used to be in the town. 🏬✨ This sparked lots of memories, laughter, and brilliant stories, with plenty of nostalgia flowing throughout the afternoon. 💬💙

We also want to share a touching moment as some of our staff collected their butterfly pin badges, kindly donated to the home in remembrance of a former resident. 💙

It was a beautiful and meaningful gesture that truly means a great deal to us all.

We’d also like to say a big thank you to Morrisons Dunoon for kindly donating these lovely flowers. 🌼 Our residents got straight to work arranging them in the vases, and they’ve truly brightened up the home. 💐

A huge thank you for your continued kindness and support! 💛