Residents of care homes across the south have joined families and community friends to play their part in honouring the fallen.
Remembrance season has given residents and team members at all 21 Colten Care homes in Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex and Wiltshire the opportunity to reflect and commemorate.
It has been especially poignant for those who served in the armed forces or have childhood memories of wartime.
While making silhouettes of soldiers, knitting or crocheting poppies or attending community parades or services, dozens of residents have taken time to reflect on the season’s themes of sacrifice and service.
One-hundred-year-old World War Two veteran Boyd Salmon was invited by the Royal British Legion to cut the ribbon on the poppy display at Lymington War Memorial.
A resident at Court Lodge in Lymington for the past four years, the former Royal Navy officer was the honorary guest at the occasion and rose from his wheelchair confidently to perform the task.
Boyd, who was badly injured clearing enemy mines from a beach in The Netherlands in 1945, is well known in the Lymington community.
He has a certificate of appreciation and a lifetime membership of the Royal Naval Association and was invited to join Lymington’s official D-Day 80th anniversary parade in June 2024.
Court Lodge Home Manager Rebecca Hannam, who accompanied Boyd to the Remembrance memorial, said: “He wore his medals with pride as he cut the ribbon.”
Similarly, ex-service personnel living at Brook View in West Moors took part in a community Remembrance parade in the Dorset town.
Veteran JoJo Cook laid a wreath for her RAF Squadron and David Vincent, who served in the Royal Navy, carried a wreath on behalf of all at Brook view.
The home was one of many across Colten Care to display poppy installations carefully made by residents.
One lady, Gwen Carter, knitted all year and contributed a sizeable number to the home’s total of 300 poppies.
Companionship Team member Rebecca Grimsey said: “We staged the poppies at the entrance of Brook View for all to see and finished it off with a poppy-covered soldier with his head in his hands.”
Residents from Fernhill, a dedicated dementia care home, joined Remembrance events in Ferndown.
Among those on parade duty for the launch of the poppy appeal were three residents with service histories: Elisabeth Wilson, June Welford and Ron Howes.
The event, held at the Dorset town’s Barrington Centre and organised by Ferndown Town Council and the Royal British Legion, gave them the opportunity to speak with air cadets and Scouts, the Mayor of Ferndown, Terry Cordery, and the Deputy Lieutenant Liz Williamson.
Ron, who served in the RAF, was presented with a poppy by a young air cadet, Jackson Heath.
Ron told carers afterwards: “That was tremendous, and I love a marching band. Thank you for taking me.”
Residents at another dedicated dementia care home, The Aldbury in Parkstone, Poole, spent two weeks in the run-up to Remembrance Day making a giant poppy out of crepe paper which was hung in their front garden within easily visibility of busy Ringwood Road.
A no-less standout memorial was created and put on display in the garden of Newstone House in Sturminster Newton.
It was a curtain of poppy chains cascading from an arbour and gently lit by red lighting.
Attending its unveiling, Trevor Legg from Sturminster Newton Royal British Legion thanked the residents and staff for their work. “It means so much that people take the time and effort to continue the tradition of remembrance,” he said.
At Castle View in Poundbury, residents Betty Morris and Vera Brown had the honour of laying a wreath by the home’s Remembrance tribute of poppies made through painting, knitting and collage.
Residents created the work in a series of arts and crafts sessions alongside children from Prince of Wales First School and Puddletown Pre-school and adults with moderate learning difficulties who attend the day care service stability.
