Beach Party Brings the Seaside to Sundial Care Home

Sundial Care Home, in the heart of Tipton St John village in Devon, brought the seaside to the home with its annual Beach Party. While Sidmouth Beach is just a short distance away and many family members (residents) enjoy regular visits there, the Beach Party ensured everyone could experience the classic British seaside from home.

The residential care home's three-acre gardens were transformed with beach backdrops, umbrellas, paddling pools, sand pits, buckets and spades, inflatable instruments and a bubble machine. Musical duo Blue Sky Busking returned to perform after proving popular during a previous visit to the home, with family members, relatives and visitors singing along throughout the afternoon.

Team Member Jo served mocktails made with tropical juice, grenadine and lemonade, finished with colourful cocktail umbrellas that family member Geraldine enjoyed helping prepare.

"The feedback has been excellent. Who needs to go to the beach when the beach party is at Sundial with fantastic mocktails!" Jo shared.

The Kitchen Team, led by Liz, cooked burgers and hot dogs, served in takeaway boxes. Relative and volunteer at the home Lindsay, baked butterfly cakes, ginger cake and coffee cake topped with dolly mixtures, while ice creams and fruit kebabs were served as evening snacks.

There were activities for all ages, hook-a-duck was a firm favourite for the grandchildren, along with sand pits with buckets and spades, and paddling pools where family members and visitors could dip their toes and cool off in the warm weather.

One relative shared, "It was absolutely marvellous how people responded to the music. It had a lovely little festival feeling. Best bubble machine we've ever seen!"

The annual Beach Party is just one of the many events held at Sundial Care Home to support continuation of life, helping family members continue enjoying the traditions, celebrations and shared moments that matter most with the people closest to them.

 

If you would like to learn more about Sundial Care Home, please visit: https://www.sundialcare.com/activities-in-care/

 

 

 

 

 

Seaside Visit Evokes Reminiscence for North Devon Care Home Residents

Family members (residents) Harry and John, from Edenmore Nursing Home in Ilfracombe, recently spent the afternoon enjoying everything Ilfracombe Harbour has to offer, from watching the boats to visiting the funfair and enjoying an ice cream by the sea.

Accompanied by Home Manager Gayle and Home Administrator Emma, the pair made the short journey to the seafront in the home’s car. On arriving, Harry proudly helped push John's wheelchair along the harbourside as they watched the boats and explored the local shops together.

After browsing, they stopped for an ice cream, and each picked which flavour they would like. Harry's daughter later shared that he and his late wife, Eileen, used to visit the ice cream shop almost every day!

John, who has always loved boats and had a special visit to the RNLI last year, enjoyed watching the fishing boats come and go, while Harry's face lit up as they wandered through the funfair. He even took a turn on the teacup ride before stopping to watch the Ferris wheel turn.

As they stood together, Harry gently took Gayle's arm and smiled, saying, 'Let's watch this, Eileen,' as he looked up at the wheel with a smile from ear to ear.

For many people, particularly those living with a Dementia or on a cognitive journey, places such as the seaside, harbour or funfair can evoke feelings of familiarity and comfort. They may represent childhood holidays, family outings or special moments shared with loved ones, helping them reconnect with positive emotions and things that have always been meaningful to them.

On the journey home, John became emotional as he thanked Gayle and Emma for the day. Holding Gayle's hand, he told them how beautiful the day had been and asked if he could have printed copies of the photographs to keep in his room. Before arriving back at the home, he was already planning the next visit, promising that next time he would treat everyone to fish and chips!

Staying connected with the local community continues to be an important part of life at Edenmore Nursing Home. Whether it's enjoying days out around Ilfracombe or welcoming visitors, such as pupils from Ilfracombe Junior School, into the home, there are plenty of opportunities to stay connected. On less sunny days, family members can still enjoy the sea views from many of the home's lounges and bedrooms.

 

Edenmore Nursing Home offers 24-hour nursing and residential care by the North Devon coast. To learn more about life at Edenmore, visit www.edenmorenursinghome.com

Creative Mojo Workshops Flourish at Nursing Home near Okehampton

Family members (residents) at Hatherleigh Nursing Home near Okehampton, Devon have been enjoying regular Creative Mojo sessions, where art provides opportunities for self-expression, conversation and shared experiences.

Led by Devon-based creative arts facilitator and artist Sandra Caldeira-Dunkerley, the sessions explore a range of techniques including painting, collage, printing and mark-making. Inspired by nature and the local community where many of the nursing home's family members come from, each workshop encourages everyone to take part in a relaxed and supportive environment.

The sessions have become a popular part of life at the West Devon Nursing Home, bringing people together from different households across the home and even relatives through shared creativity. As Hatherleigh Nursing Home supports a variety of people such as those living with a Dementia or complex needs, each session is thoughtfully adapted to the individual, ensuring everyone feels welcomed, encouraged and able to take part in a way that suits them.

Sandra shared: "Creative Mojo is about so much more than making art. It's about creating a space where people feel comfortable to explore, connect with one another and enjoy the process of being creative. Seeing people grow in confidence, share conversations and take pride in what they've created is always incredibly rewarding."

The home, which offers 24-hour nursing care, residential care, respite care and complex care, continues to support the people who live there through personalised activities, opportunities for social interaction, meaningful experiences and celebrations that create a true home-from-home environment while promoting a continuation of life.

 

If you would like to learn more about Hatherleigh Nursing Home, please visit: https://www.hatherleighnursinghome.com/lifes-journey-continued-2/

True Compassion: Carole’s Career in Care

A member of the care team at Edenmore Nursing Home has shared how a career in social care helped her discover a passion for homemaking, creating a warm, welcoming environment where people feel comfortable, cared for and at home.

Social care offers a wide range of career opportunities, from Carers and Care Practitioners to Domestics, Maintenance Team Members, Nurses, Chefs, Cooks, House Leads, Administrators and Home Managers.

It is a sector where people often discover new interests, develop new skills and grow into different roles over time. For many, it is a career path they never fully understood until they experienced it for themselves.

Carole joined Edenmore Nursing Home almost seven years ago after looking for a role where she could make a positive difference within her local community. What began as a position as a Carer soon evolved into a role that perfectly matched her lifelong love of cooking, hospitality and caring for others.

Originally from France, Carole grew up on a family farm in Normandy before moving to England in her twenties. After working as a personal assistant, raising a family and later retraining as a special needs teaching assistant, she eventually found herself searching for a career where she could build lasting relationships and support older people.

Reflecting on her decision to join Edenmore, Carole said, 'I was looking for a permanent role where I could stay within the local community and make a positive difference to people's lives. I have always enjoyed caring for children, but I also became aware of the many older people in my neighbourhood living alone and often feeling isolated.'

Today, Carole is best known in the home for her homemaker role. From preparing welcoming living spaces and supporting mealtimes to sharing conversations over a cup of tea, painting nails, listening to music and simply sitting alongside someone who enjoys company, her focus is on creating an environment where everyday life continues in a way that feels familiar and meaningful.

She said, 'Every day is different, but my aim is always the same; to make everyone feel comfortable, loved, cared for and at home.'

Over the years, Carole has built close relationships with the family members (residents), including greeting one former French teacher each morning in French.

She shared, 'It has become our secret language. It is lovely to see her smile and laugh every time we do this, and it makes my day.  It is a simple event but reminds me how small connections can make a difference.’

For Carole, these relationships are what make working in care so rewarding. When leaving the home at the end of the day, she has a special routine she follows.

‘At the end of each shift at 7pm, I don’t say goodbye.  The reason for this is because it can upset some of the family members.  Instead, I simply say, “My friends, I am tired now and I need a rest.  I will see you in the morning.  Keep well.”

To read Carole's full story, including her journey from rural France to North Devon, her daily life as Edenmore's homemaker, the special relationships she has built with family members, and the story behind her famous apron collection, visit: 

True Compassion: Carole’s Career in Care

Edenmore Nursing Home provides 24-hour nursing and residential care in Ilfracombe, North Devon.

New kits spell success for pine marten reintroduction on Exmoor

A pioneering conservation project has released new evidence of its success in bringing the rare and endangered pine marten back to the South West of England.

Exclusive video footage gathered by the Two Moors Pine Marten Project shows a female marten with four of its offspring, known as kits, as they explore an Exmoor woodland. The film clip is the first proof that pine martens released by the project are breeding on Exmoor.

In 2024, the Two Moors Pine Marten Project reintroduced 15 pine martens to locations on Dartmoor. A further release of 19 pine martens followed on Exmoor in 2025. The reintroductions represented the first attempt to re-establish a sustainable breeding population of the tree-climbing members of the weasel family to the South West since they were hunted to extinction more than 100 years ago. The project followed similar successful initiatives in Wales (2015) and the Forest of Dean (2019) and is part of a national strategy to restore pine martens across England and Wales.

The Two Moors Pine Marten Project is led by Devon Wildlife Trust and involves a partnership of seven organisations including Dartmoor National Park Authority, Devon Wildlife Trust, Exmoor National Park Authority, Forestry England, National Trust, Somerset Wildlife Trust and Woodland Trust. It has been supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. 

Since their release, the pine martens have proved to be highly mobile, shy of people and difficult to see. However, the project now has proof that pine martens are successfully breeding in both Exmoor and Dartmoor. Confirmation of this success has come from footage captured by some of the dozens of trail cameras installed by the project.

One clip from an Exmoor camera captures the moment when a female pine marten and her four kits visit a trail camera which has been specially baited with peanut butter and fish oil – a combination of smells and tastes which pine martens love!

Ali North is the Two Moors Pine Marten Project Field Officer for Exmoor. Ali said: 

"These clips were recorded on cameras being monitored by one of our brilliant project volunteers. We were incredibly excited to finally see kits after so many months of intensive monitoring. Mothers give birth in March or April and have on average 2-3 kits, so to see 4 with their mum was an amazing sight and suggests that Exmoor is the perfect home for these animals.

The news of breeding pine martens marks a wonderful moment for our project staff, our project partners and the dozens of volunteers who have worked with us to bring this native animal back. This has been a community effort with local people helping us in a series of key tasks ranging from building pine marten den boxes to installing and regularly checking remote cameras. There are a whole host of ways woodland owners can continue to help pine martens recover and we'd encourage anyone interested to get in touch."

Ali Hawkins, Senior Ecologist at Exmoor National Park Authority, said:

"Seeing pine martens breeding on Exmoor is a hugely encouraging milestone for nature recovery in the National Park. It shows what can be achieved through careful partnership working, long-term monitoring and the support of local communities. While this is very positive news, the population remains small and vulnerable, so continued public support and reporting of sightings will be vital as we help this native species re-establish itself."

Nigel Garnsworthy, Restore Nature Delivery Manager at the National Trust, said:
"The arrival of pine marten kits on Exmoor is a fantastic sign that these animals are beginning to establish themselves once again in the South West. This milestone reflects the strength of partnership working across the Two Moors Pine Marten Project and the dedication of volunteers, landowners and conservation organisations working together to restore nature at a landscape scale."

Similar clips of a female pine marten and offspring were recorded by the project on Dartmoor in 2025 confirming that breeding had taken place there. Now further film footage from Dartmoor suggests that pine martens have bred for a second successive year. Film showing a mother and two kits was captured by two Dartmoor residents, Tim and Rachael, on land close to where they live in the Wray Valley. Tim and Rachael said: 

"Since moving to the Wray Valley last year, we have been extremely lucky, as we have managed to capture quite a few trail cam videos of pine martens in the woods behind where we live. 

 

We have only ever filmed a single one at a time, so we couldn't believe our eyes when we downloaded this video of a mother with her two kits, playing alongside her. We feel very fortunate to have experienced this sighting and so glad to see the success of the Two Moors Pine Marten Project!"

 

Despite the breeding success of pine martens on Exmoor and Dartmoor the project is keen to stress that the animal's comeback to the region is still in its early, fragile stages. 

Daniel Brown is the Two Moors Pine Marten Project Field Officer for Dartmoor. Daniel said:

"Pine martens live at low density – meaning there aren't many of them around, even when they become established in a landscape. They are also slow breeders - giving birth to just one litter each year. This means their population growth is only gradual.

This makes their populations vulnerable to losses in road accidents, while trapping and poisoning from rodenticides are also a threat.

The vulnerability of the species means we're very keen to hear from people who see pine martens in Devon, Cornwall or Somerset. Sightings are vital in helping us track the progress of these elusive animals and landowners with trail cameras may also like to take part in our Citizen Science Woodland Survey."  

The Two Moors Pine Marten Project wants to hear from people who might have spotted a pine marten in the South West of England, especially if they have photographic evidence and details of the location. The project is also appealing for help from landowners on Exmoor and Dartmoor who own woodlands and who have access to their own trail cameras.

 Exmoor pine marten mother and 4 kits. Photo credit Two Moors Pine Martins Project

 CLICK HERE TO VIEW EXMOOR PINE MARTIN MOTHER & KITS video footage on Devon Wildlife Trust Youtube Channel

 Dartmoor pine marten mother and 2 kits. Photo credit Two Moors Pine Martin Project.

 

Contact details for the project along with lots more information about pine martens can be found at www.twomoorspinemartens.org

About the videos: 'The videos of pine marten kits were recorded in undisclosed Exmoor and Dartmoor woodlands. The Exmoor video shows a female and kits visiting a 'T-bar' used by the project and baited with peanut butter and fish oil. T-bars are used to attract pine martens so that the project can record the animals' presence on trail cameras. We estimate the kits in these films to be approx 3 months old. They appear slightly smaller than their mothers, while in the Exmoor video the mother also has a collar. This is a GPS tracker given to all the released animals'.

Photography, Identity and Complex Care at Heanton Nursing Home

Some people spend their lives searching for ordinary comforts like a favourite song on the radio, the warmth of a cup of tea or the sight of birds in the garden. Others spend their lives searching for the edge of the world.

Martin Baker was always drawn towards the latter.

Long before Martin moved into Heanton Nursing Home, he travelled across some of the world's most amazing places. Antarctica. Namibia. Morocco. India. The Arctic. Places filled with extraordinary wildlife, cultures and landscapes that few people ever witness with their own eyes.

His camera became more than something to take photographs with. It became how he understood the world around him.

Growing up, Martin developed a resilience that would shape the rest of his life. Diagnosed with diabetes at just nine years old, he faced challenges from an early age, yet those closest to him remember someone who persevered through almost everything life placed in front of him.

His family still affectionately describe him as a "daredevil". One of his favourite photographs captures a rhino charging directly towards him, while another unforgettable adventure took him aboard an icebreaker in Antarctica, where he spent three weeks camping in freezing conditions and travelling through waves reaching twenty feet high. While many around him became seasick, Martin somehow remained completely unaffected.

Even a serious car accident caused by a diabetic hypo became, in Martin's telling, another remarkable story. After crashing upside down into a tree, he walked away physically unharmed, something he still speaks about with pride.

Yet alongside his adventurous spirit there has always been sensitivity too. Despite being a smoker, Martin stopped smoking completely throughout his time in Antarctica because he did not want to pollute the untouched environment he had travelled so far to experience.

Today, Martin lives at Heanton Nursing Home with bipolar disorder and changing cognitive needs. There are moments when frustration can rise if he loses the words he wants to say, but the team understand that these moments are not something to correct. They are often an expression of emotion, confusion or the distress of losing hold of a thought that mattered.

Rather than drawing attention to what Martin cannot remember, conversations are gently guided back towards the parts of his life that continue to bring him confidence.

Today, his photographs from those journeys cover the walls of his room. Wildlife frozen in single moments of intensity. Memories captured from a life lived with enormous curiosity and determination.

When the team sit with Martin and begin talking about his photography, they often notice an immediate change in him.

"You can see him light up," one member of the team shared.

Alongside those conversations are the familiar comforts that make each day his own: a strong coffee in the morning, cigarettes throughout the day, naps whenever he feels tired and time spent walking around the home chatting with those around him. There is no expectation for Martin to fit into somebody else's routine.

At Heanton Nursing Home, complex care is about understanding the person behind the diagnosis. It is about recognising what brings comfort, confidence and connection, while protecting the identity that has been built over a lifetime.

For Martin, that identity still lives in the stories of his travels, the extraordinary wildlife he photographed and the adventures that continue to shape the conversations he enjoys today.

To read the whole story:  Photography, Identity and Complex Care at Heanton Nursing Home - Heanton Nursing Home

The Burton at Bideford presents 'A Joyful Parasite’ by Saelia Aparicio.

The Burton at Bideford presents 'A Joyful Parasite', the largest commission to date by Spanish-born, London-based artist Saelia Aparicio. Through sculpture, murals and installation, the exhibition creates an imagined ecosystem of curious hybrid creatures, inviting visitors to explore transformation, belonging and our connections with the living world.

Playful, humorous and visually captivating, 'A Joyful Parasite' reflects The Burton's commitment to bringing ambitious contemporary art and distinctive artistic voices to North Devon. Saelia draws on folk mythologies, biology and science fiction to create imagined worlds where the boundaries between humans, animals and plants begin to dissolve. Often working with reclaimed materials, she invites us to think differently about care, coexistence and the ways living things adapt and thrive.

Commissioned by Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, in partnership with Southwark Park Galleries, London, and The Burton, 'A Joyful Parasite' marks an important moment in The Burton's programme. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to supporting ambitious new commissions and ensuring that significant contemporary art is developed and experienced across the UK.

Harriet Cooper, Director of The Burton at Bideford, said: "Supporting artists to realise ambitious new work is an important part of what we do at The Burton. Through this partnership, we're delighted to bring Saelia's work to North Devon, giving audiences the chance to experience a major new commission they might otherwise have to travel elsewhere to see. What makes her work so compelling is the way it combines humour, imagination and beautifully crafted sculpture with ideas that feel deeply relevant today. It's full of warmth, curiosity and generosity, inviting us to see the natural world—and our place within it—with fresh eyes."

The title, 'A Joyful Parasite', asks us to reconsider how we value different forms of life. Inspired by the hierarchies humans often place on the natural world, Saelia imagines the perspective of a parasite—simply living the life it is meant to live. Rather than dividing the world into useful and harmful, welcome and unwelcome, the exhibition encourages us to think more generously about coexistence and the many ways living things support, depend upon and adapt to one another.

At the heart of the exhibition are three sculptural characters inspired by the butterfly’s life cycle: the caterpillar, the chrysalis and the butterfly. Together they represent different stages of transformation, offering a simple and universal metaphor for change. Visitors move through a landscape of hybrid figures that appear joyful, vulnerable and constantly evolving. Humour and tenderness sit alongside moments of unease, creating an exhibition that is both welcoming and thought-provoking.

Plants and flowers weave throughout the exhibition as symbols of identity, belonging and place. National flowers occupy positions of pride hanging from the ceiling, while overlooked plants and so-called weeds quietly flourish at the edges. Saelia is interested in how the same plant can be understood differently depending on where it grows: rhododendron ponticum is native to parts of Spain where it is now endangered, while in Britain it is widely established as an invasive species. These shifting perspectives ask us to reconsider how we define belonging and remind us that the meaning of a place—and of the life within it—is always changing.

Presented in North Devon, within the UNESCO Biosphere that stretches from the River Torridge to the surrounding coast and countryside, 'A Joyful Parasite' feels especially resonant. In a landscape shaped by the close relationship between natural systems and human activity, The Burton is a place where conversations about ecology and belonging feel especially immediate. At a time when these themes continue to shape public life, Saelia offers a hopeful response, celebrating resilience, coexistence and the possibility of flourishing in unexpected places.

Saelia Aparicio said: "Every living being just wants to live more and wants a better life. Communities aren't only a human thing—plants, animals and every living being want to thrive too. That's where the idea of 'A Joyful Parasite' comes from."

Rich with unexpected encounters, moments of wonder and playful discovery, 'A Joyful Parasite' invites visitors of all ages to look more closely at the living world and discover that transformation often begins with changing the way we see one another.

Installation View. 'Saelia Aparicio, A Joyful Parasite at Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art ©️Saelia Aparicio -Photo Reece Straw(All rights Reserved)

‘Saelia Aparicio: A Joyful Parasite’ runs from 1 st August – 4th October 2026 at The Burton at Bideford, Kingsley Road, Bideford EX39 2QQ. Free entry. For more details see www.theburton.org or get in touch at info@theburton.org. 

Opening Hours:Tuesday to Saturday 10am–5pm ] Sunday 11am–4pm

Free entry  

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Exhibition Credit/Artist Biography

A Photographic Friendship: James Ravilious and Chris Chapman’

The Burton at Bideford presents ‘A Photographic Friendship: James Ravilious and Chris Chapman’, an exhibition celebrating the remarkable artistic partnership and shared vision of two of Devon's most significant documentary photographers.

Presented as part of The Burton's 75th anniversary programme, ‘A Photographic Friendship’ reflects the museum's enduring commitment to celebrating the art, history and communities of North Devon. Developed from the acclaimed publication of the same name, the exhibition brings together a selection of works that reveal how both men documented the people, landscapes, traditions and everyday life of rural Devon over the past fifty years.

Through 15 carefully curated photographic pairings selected by Chris Chapman, the exhibition sheds new light on the creative dialogue between the two photographers, revealing the shared themes, perspectives and quiet observations that unite their work. The images offer a rich portrait of rural life, moving beyond picturesque landscapes to capture the realities of agriculture across the changing seasons. Intimate domestic moments sit alongside scenes of working farms, village shows, weddings and local traditions, while striking portraits celebrate the individuality and character of the people who shaped these communities.

Chris Chapman (born 1952) has spent more than five decades documenting the landscapes and communities of Dartmoor and the South West. After studying at Torquay School of Art and Newport College of Art under Magnum photographer David Hurn, he settled in Throwleigh in 1976, where he continues to live and work. His photographs are held in major public collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Arts Council Collection and the International Center of Photography in New York.

James Ravilious (1939–1999) moved to Devon in 1972 and became one of Britain's most celebrated documentary photographers through his evocative record of rural life in North Devon. In 2021, The Burton acquired 135 prints from ‘An English Eye’, the landmark retrospective of his work, establishing an important collection that continues to inspire new research and interpretation.

Through images that are both intimate and timeless, ‘A Photographic Friendship’ explores the unique dialogue between two friends whose work was collaborative rather than competitive, united by a deep respect for their subjects and an extraordinary ability to find beauty in the ordinary. Together, their photographs create a powerful visual archive of rural Devon, preserving its people, traditions and changing landscapes with honesty, empathy and quiet affection.

As The Burton celebrates 75 years of collecting, preserving and sharing the stories of North Devon, ‘A Photographic Friendship’ demonstrates the enduring power of photography to connect people with place, inviting audiences to discover familiar landscapes through fresh eyes while reflecting on the communities and heritage that continue to shape the region today.

Thatching the Lower Merripit Roundhouse, Dartmoor. Photo ©️Chris Chapman ( All Rights Reserved)

‘A Photographic Friendship: James Ravilious and Chris Chapman’ runs from 1st August – 4th October 2026 at The Burton at Bideford, Kingsley Road, Bideford EX39 2QQ. Free entry. For more details see www.theburton.org or get in touch at info@theburton.org.  

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 Artist biographies

Evolve Care Group Explores Creative Ways to Create Connection in Dementia Care

Evolve Care Group recently welcomed team members from across its homes and Central Support office to their Evolve Care Academy in Bristol for training sessions exploring how meaningful connections can be built with people living with a Dementia and other cognitive conditions.

The sessions, titled Seen, Heard, Valued, form part of Evolve’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that everyone, regardless of their role, develops an understanding of the people living within their homes and the approaches used to support them.

Team members working across care, kitchen, domestic, maintenance, administration and Central Support regularly attend training at the Evolve Care Academy, recognising that everyone contributes to the environment that family members (residents) call home.

Communications Assistant Ayla Melville attended one of the recent sessions to gain a deeper understanding of the principles that underpin Evolve’s approach to care.

Throughout the day, attendees took part in practical exercises designed to encourage them to think differently about communication and connection, particularly when supporting people who may find it difficult to express themselves.

The session also explored how cognitive conditions and Dementias can affect communication, memory, decision making and emotional regulation.

Clinical Head Eve Carder explained that asking multiple direct questions to some people can sometimes leave them feeling confused or overwhelmed, making it more difficult for them to engage. Instead, the training encouraged attendees to find creative ways to "change the moment", adapting their approach to build trust and meaningful connection.

Reflecting on the experience, Ayla explained that hearing real experiences shared by team members helped bring the learning to life and provided valuable context for the stories she tells through her communications role.

The Seen, Heard, Valued sessions are one of many courses delivered through the Evolve Care Academy, which provides ongoing online and in-person learning and development for team members across Evolve Care Group.

To read Ayla's full account of the training experience, visit:

Changing the Moment to Create Connection.

For more information about the learning and development delivered by Evolve Care Academy, visit https://www.evolvecareacademy.com/

Focus Nature Notes. Butterflies, Birdsong and Buddleia

Love Butterflies love the Butterfly Bush. We have five Buddleia in the small front garden and on Sunday, they were covered in the colourful panicles blowing in the breeze, we spotted the following welcome visitors: Just a 'recce' not a count, Butterfly Conservation's 2026 Big Butterfly Count runs from 17th July to 9th August. 

  Red Admiral 

Peacock 

Gatekeeper 

Tortoiseshell 

Painted Lady 

Whites Large and Small 

Hummingbird Moth 

This Youtube short of the first Buddleia, aka The Butterfly Bush, flowering in my garden on the 2nd July was filmed on my iPhone. I was concentrating on the blooming things blowing in the breeze I didn't spot the Red Admiral slowly wafting its wings on the Hydrangea. In the background a melee of twittering birds. 💛💜Love nature.

The following photos were taken with my trusty Canon camera later in the evening when the sun lit up the Senecio.

Yellow tones from the Senecio colouring the White Butterfly

Red Admiral on the Senecio

Short> First Red Admiral on the first flowering Buddleia and Birdsong 

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Butterfly Conservation's 2026 Big Butterfly Count runs from 17th July to 9th August. 

https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/

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North Devon Focus. Watching the changing seasons throughout the year, looking out and photographing events, nature, wildlife and places while walking on the North Devon coast and in the countryside. 
All photos/articles copyright Pat Adams (All Rights Reserved)

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New exhibition opening soon: North Devon’s Home Front Writers, 1937-45

An exhibition reflecting on the lives of people visiting and living in North Devon during a significant period in history, as captured in the nation's Mass Observation diaries.

 

Between 1937 and 1946, just over 100 men and women were recruited as untrained volunteers to keep diaries and respond to questionnaires that would document their lives in Devon in what formed part of a national social research project known as Mass Observation.

The writers were encouraged to be honest and truthful as they wrote about a wide range of topics. The result was a milestone not only in detailing everyday life but in understanding British values, opinion and perspectives. Writers not only documented otherwise unrecorded events but also revealed views and attitudes about a variety of subjects including ones relating to the war, such as evacuees, bombing, rations, blackout, foreign servicemen, and politicians. Perhaps more unexpectedly, the writers commented upon race, the empire, the place of women in society, religion, the press, and sex.

 

Thirteen of the writers recorded life in North Devon. They were based in Barnstaple (2), Bideford (3), Clovelly (1), Ilfracombe (2), Lynmouth (1), North Molton (1), South Molton (1), Westward Ho! (1) and Woolacombe (1). Some were on holiday but most were longstanding residents who wrote of local life as it descended into war.

 

The diaries and questionnaires were sent each month to a central archive that is today housed at The Keep in Brighton.  Few of the descendants of the Devon writers were aware that their family members had written for Mass Observation.

 

The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of talks, including one by Dr Todd Gray MBE, historian, Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Exeter, and author of Devon's Home Front Diaries, 1937 to 1945, published in 2025. More information and booking details will be made available soon on our website.

 

6 year old Maureen Foley and her 9 year old brother Maurice look through a life-ring at Bideford harbour, North Devon in 1941 ©️ Imperial War Museum (All rights reserved)

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NEW EXHIBITION AT THE MUSEUM OF BARNSTAPLE & NORTH DEVON

 North Devon's Home Front Writers, 1937-45

25th July – 17th October 2026

 

FIND OUT MORE >- North Devon's Home Front Writers, 1937-45 – Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon

Pam’s World: Entering Altered Reality. An Insight from Edenmore Nursing Home

Understanding how to support someone living with a Dementia is not always straightforward. As memories disappear, the way a person experiences the world can shift, and what feels real to them may not match the present moment. This means we are sometimes navigating a reality that is different from our own.

This piece shares an insight into how care teams respond in those moments, focusing on something known as therapeutic lying, and why it can sometimes be the kindest approach. Through Pam’s story, we explore what it means to step into someone else’s reality to help them feel safe, understood and at ease, and why insisting on the ‘truth’ can sometimes cause unnecessary distress, rather than comfort.

Therapeutic Lies in Practice

A therapeutic lie is a thoughtful, compassionate response used to reduce anxiety and meet someone in their current reality. If a person asks for their mother, father or loved one, forgetting that they are no longer with us, correcting them may re-open grief or make the loss feel as though it is happening for the first time.

Softly reassuring them that their loved one has popped out to the shops can provide comfort and emotional safety. Alternatively, gentle redirection of the conversation, or asking if they would like to go for a walk, can help them focus on something else and reduce anxiety.

Rather than focusing on factual accuracy, therapeutic lying is about protecting someone’s emotional world. By not correcting or challenging their reality, we can reduce feelings of confusion or distress. Instead, we meet them where they are, offering reassurance and support so they can feel safe and understood.

Pam, 80 years young and living at Edenmore for just over four years, has a learning disability and lives with a Dementia. For her, comfort comes from a place that might surprise others but makes perfect sense within her world.

Reassurance, connection and touch are deeply important to Pam. She is soothed by holding hands and becomes anxious if she does not feel close to someone. When she feels overwhelmed, lying down with her favourite soft toys, especially Tony the squirrel, helps her settle.

When Pam was very young, she won Tony in a lucky dip, a story that she shares often with those around her. He has stayed with her ever since, becoming something she is deeply attached to. To Pam, Tony is not simply a soft toy, but an incredibly real and important relationship in her life.

For someone living with a Dementia, objects, people or routines may take on a strong emotional meaning, and these attachments can bring a sense of reassurance and familiarity.

Tony also plays an important role in supporting Pam’s health. If she does not feel like eating, the team will offer a little food to Tony first, which can often encourage her. If she doesn’t want to drink water, they will try pouring it into her small doll’s tea set and offer it to Tony, which can also gently prompt her to drink. These routines have been created by the team and come from their understanding of Pam’s history and what is most important to her.

When Tony’s stuffing began to come out, and his ears and arms became worn, there was a concern that losing him could cause Pam real upset. Clinical Lead Teresa, who enjoys sewing, took him home and carefully stitched new ears and arms onto him. Tony was returned safely to Pam, restored and whole, preserving not just a soft toy, but a source of comfort and continuity in her day-to-day life.

For people who may not understand how important this relationship is to Pam, it may seem like the right thing to do to tell her Tony is ‘not real’ and try to correct her perspective. But by recognising how important Tony is to Pam, and respecting that her connection to him is a very real relationship in her world, the team help her to feel safe and secure, rather than causing confusion and upsetting the way she understands and experiences things around her.

Is it Right to Lie?

There is not always a simple answer when it comes to whether telling the truth or offering a therapeutic lie is the ‘right’ thing to do. There are moments that ask us to consider what will best support someone’s wellbeing and the focus shifts from being right, to being kind.

Therapeutic lies, when used thoughtfully and responsibly, are acts of care. They allow people like Pam to feel safe, valued and emotionally held in a world that no longer behaves as it once did - recognising that, in moments of confusion, Pam’s version of the truth is the one that matters most.

Edenmore Nursing Home provides 24-hour nursing and residential care, supporting each person to continue living a life that feels meaningful and true to who they are.