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!!In this issue: !!

• Mothering Sunday, lent and cakes

• !• From our Home

Manager !• Manor Gardens Diary !• Happy Birthday to … • !• What’s on !!

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Welcome to the 2014’s first issue of Manor Matters! !As this is a newsletter dedicated to the people who live at Manor Gardens, their families and friends we want to renew our invitation to come and share with us your thoughts, your stories or pictures. !As it happens, we just celebrated Mothering Sunday and we couldn't let this special day just pass by without a dedicated issue to all the Mothers at Manor Gardens.

Mothering Sunday is a Christian holiday celebrated throughout Europe that falls

on the 4th Sunday in Lent. It became an occasion for

honouring the mothers of

children and giving them

presents. It is

increasingly being called

Mother's Day, although that

has always been a secular

event quite different from

the original Mothering Sunday. In the UK,

Mothering Sunday is celebrated in the same way as

Mother's Day is celebrated elsewhere.

!

Mothering SundayT H E N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E P E O P L E W H O L I V E A T M A N O R G A R D E N S

MANOR mattersM A R C H 2 0 1 4

I S S U E 1

THIS IS YOUR HOME, TELL US WHAT YOU WANT! This newsletter is compiled by the Manor Gardens Committee, the Manor Gardens Group.

We want this newsletter to be owned by the people who live here therefore we invite all residents and their families and friends to bring ideas, articles, old pictures, whatever you fancy and you think might be

interesting to share. Manor Gardens Group was set up by residents and relatives who would like to have a proactive say about

how our home is run.

! Mothering Sunday, lent and cakes !

!Mothering Sunday, or Mother's Day as it is now known, falls on the fourth Sunday in Lent, during the 40-day lead-up to Easter.

Some historians believe that the tradition, later hijacked by the early Christian church, has its origins in Roman times. During the spring feast of Matronalia, they say, the goddess of motherhood was honoured with small cakes presented at her shrine.

Just like Christmas and Easter, this mid-Lenten day has now become very commercialised, with flowers, cards and chocolates on sale everywhere.

In Britain, however, this was traditionally the Sunday when young people working away from home, such as farm hands, servants and apprentices, were allowed to visit their families and attend a service at their "mother" church, the place where they had been baptised.

It was, in effect, an early spring holiday for workers who normally had little time off.

Known as going "a-mothering", younger children would pick wild flowers to decorate their church. During, or after the services, they would also give a bunch of spring flowers to their mothers. An old saying goes: "On Mothering Sunday, above all other, every child should dine with its mother."

This essentially religious tradition gradually evolved into a more secular one, of children giving gifts to their mothers, a century-old tradition which seems to have its roots across the Atlantic. It is said that American servicemen, here for D-Day, mistook the festivities in Britain for their very own Mother's Day, which was held on the second Sunday in May. This occasion had been adopted by Congress in 1913 following a campaign by Anna Jarvis, of Philadelphia, who had lost her own mother some years previously. Continued on page 3

! Mothering Sunday, lent and cakes !Continued from page 2 !This cross-fertilisation sowed the seeds for the time when, post-war, Mothering Sunday and Mother's Day were rolled into one. Also known as Rose Sunday, Pudding Pie Sunday and Simnel Sunday, this was the day when the strict rules about what can be eaten during Lent were relaxed a little.

The church called the day Dominica Refectionis – the Sunday of Refreshment – and from then on it has become synonymous with cakes and ale, slap-up restaurant lunches and boxes of chocolates.

Simnel cake is a rich fruit bake with layers of almond paste, or marzipan (simnel is from simenel, which derives from the Latin, and was the name given to a white flower). The cake, which is

strongly scented, contains sugar, butter, eggs, spices, dried fruits, zest and candied peel. Eleven marzipan balls, said to represent the 12 apostles, minus the traitor, Judas, top the cake.

The main producers of these delicious cakes – all with their own traditions – were in Bury, Lancashire, Shrewsbury in Shropshire and Devizes in Wiltshire. Those cakes from Devizes were star-shaped, while Shrewsbury's, which were boiled and then baked, had a thick, hard, yellow-coloured crust, and those from Bury were flat and dense.

In days gone by, Mothering Buns or Mothering Sunday Buns – sweet buns topped with pink or white icing and "hundreds and thousands" – were also available. In Northern England and Scotland, pancakes made with peas fried in butter were popular. Meanwhile, in parts of Lancashire, the day was also known as Bragot Sunday, after a spicy ale brewed specially for the occasion.

The alternative name of Rose Sunday refers to the priests' purple Lenten robes being replaced by rose-coloured ones.

Another Mothering Sunday tradition is known as "clipping" – a ceremony in which the worshippers' form a ring around the church and then, singing and holding hands, embrace it. The Saxon word "clipping," which has nothing to do with shears, means to embrace or clasp; an expression of a congregation's devotion to its church.

The tradition, which is still going strong in Painswick, Gloucestershire, is sometimes held on Easter Monday or Shrove Tuesday instead. In some churches, Mothering Sunday was the only day during Lent when marriages took place.

! Manor Gardens DiaryWhat happened at Manor Gardens since our last issue?

Well, please find out below!

Luckily the harsh winter we were promised never seemed to materialise and thankfully the snow stayed firmly in North America and Canada. Instead we were under a deluge of rain but now the weather has warmed up, the rain has stopped and spring has sprung with the beautiful cherry tree in full pink blossom in the rear garden. Last week I noticed that the gardens were alive with wildlife, birds rushing to and fro with beaks full of moss and twigs as they finish of their nests. The rabbits played chase underneath the cherry tree and the squirrels were feasting on their nut stores under the oak tree.  

From our Home Manager

Thinking about our bird population, Mick Denness will be carrying out a sponsored Bird Watch in May to raise money for the homes activities department (a very worthwhile cause) and we are very grateful to Mick for thinking of us. We are also extremely interested to know how many species we have here at Manor Gardens and will update you in the next Manor Matters.

I am also very happy to report that we have been inspected again by the CQC this month and we passed with flying colours to remain fully compliant. In addition to this we are now having a Quality Monitoring 2 day audit this week and the officers from East Sussex Adult Social Care may wish to speak to you and your relatives to see if you are happy with your life at Manor Gardens.

I would also like to thank you for taking the time to complete a recent satisfaction survey, it is so helpful for us in making sure we can either improve or maintain our standards. It was reassuring to see that 92.7% are very pleased with the way you are treated by the care staff, 90.9% you feel that your personal care needs are fully met, 87.3% feel you are treated with

dignity at all times and 87.3% feel that the cleanliness of your room and the home is maintained.

Our next residents & family meeting is on 22nd of April at 14.30 and everyone is very welcome to attend.

If at any time you do wish to speak to me please let a member of staff know and I’ll happily come and see you in your room, thank you.

Laura’s spontaneous outing… On Thursday 27th of March, it was heart-warming to see Laura with four of our residents dressed up smartly and going out for morning coffee at Millbrook Garden Centre in Crowborough. I think Laura would have happily taken more residents if she had more space in her car…

The morning was enjoyed by all, coffees, delicious cakes and most importantly it was great was for the residents to have a change of scenery and a good old matter, no doubt putting the world to rights. With the sun shining, it was defiantly an added bonus as to were the beautiful flowers Mr Gibbens brought back for the reception area, thank you Mr Gibbens there were a beautiful addition for Mother’s Day,

Watch this space for our next little outing in addition to future plans to take larger numbers out in the Lions Minibus…

! Manor Gardens DiaryWhat happened at Manor Gardens since our last issue?

Well, please find out below!

Faithful to our established traditions, our kitchen team didn't forget to celebrate Valentines Day and Shrove Tuesday

Not a single opportunity of having fun is lost - we had loads of birthday celebrations, various entertainers (some of us even tried their instruments!)

!Live

Entertainment The live entertainment this month is scheduled on the 14th of April when we have the pleasure of listening to Dave Collins again.

Massage Hand and foot massages can be booked with Mrs Nikki Maher, our Massage Therapist who advise

that a regular hand/foot massage helps to keep joints flexible and mobile.

!Hairdresser

Anita, our hairdresser, is coming to see us on

every Tuesday and Thursday. !Manor Gardens

Committee Meeting !

On Tuesday, 22nd of April at 14.30 residents and relatives are invited to attend our regular Manor Gardens Committee meeting. !Music for Health Our regular session of fun is taking place on 10th of April.

!

Chiropody !Our chiropodist Mr. Chris Hayler is visiting the home every three weeks so he can see all the residents at least once every 6 weeks.

Communion service

The Church of England’s and Roman Catholic Communion Services take place regularly, for the exact dates believers are invited to contact our activities team.

WHAT’S ON THIS MONTH

APRIL Weekly

Hairdresser

APRIL 11TH

Communion

APRIL 7TH

Massage Therapy

APRIL 14TH Live

Entertainment

Mrs Joan Tull on 3rd of April

Mr Adrian Wells on 8th of April

Mrs Constance Wilson on 19th of April

Happy Birthday

to: