While everyone was caught up in the excitement of the football final on Sunday 14th July, Carol Placet Mann had her mind on a more special occasion: Bastille Day, the French celebration of independence and freedom. Bastille Day, on 14th July, marks the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789, a big event in the French Revolution. The day is celebrated with parades, fireworks, parties, and public gatherings, symbolising French unity and the values of liberty and equality.
Carol, originally from France, was born in the 1960s near Versailles, in the suburbs of Paris. For her, Bastille Day has always meant holidays, fireworks, marching bands, and the best French food you can imagine. She fondly recalls street banquets with neighbors, all celebrating the Republic.
This year, Carol spent Bastille Day at Edenmore Nursing Home, where she works. She joked with her colleagues, hinting at bringing out the guillotine if they made a mess in her kitchen. Carol’s life up till now has been quite a journey. She studied languages in the 1980s and moved to England at twenty. After ten years as a personal assistant in Hammersmith, she switched gears to special needs education, working in places like California and Vietnam. Carol has been married to her husband, Mike, for thirty years. They have traveled a lot due to his job, raising two children, Eliza and Philip, along the way.
Joining the Edenmore team
Carol joined Edenmore in Ilfracombe over four years ago. She started as a carer and became a home-maker after a year. Her love for food translates through as she cooks for the residents, fondly referred to as family members. She considers everyone at Edenmore Nursing Home her second family. Known for her hospitality, Carol makes sure visitors always get a drink or something to eat. She also ensures her teammates never skip lunch, playfully warning to put their names on the food and fluid charts if they do.
Aprons
True to her home-maker past, Carol is easily recognisable in the hallway by her unique kitchen aprons with big pockets, a collection that is now at 27. Her daughter recently mentioned that another one is on the way. Carol’s apron collection started in her childhood in Normandy, where her parents were farmers. Her mum always wore an apron, and she bought Carol her first one, with polka dots, when Carol was just nine years old. Carol didn’t like getting her clothes dirty, and the habit of wearing an apron stuck with her.
Carol’s love for aprons is just one of the many ways she brings a piece of her heritage to Edenmore. This Bastille Day, she celebrated by preparing a special menu featuring classic French dishes. Through her food, stories, and warm presence, Carol continues to share her culture with the family members, making Edenmore Nursing Home a place where diversity and tradition are celebrated.
We like to celebrate the lives of the people who live and work with us. One of the ways in which we do this is to write about and share their inspiring stories. To find out more about Edenmore Nursing Home please visit www.edenmorenursinghome.com
