New Friendship Blooms Over Roses at North Devon Care Home

Family members (residents) from Edenmore Nursing Home recently enjoyed an outing to St. John’s Garden Centre in Ashford, with the trip ending in a new, blossoming friendship.

Lillian and Shirely, who live at Edenmore, were supported by team members Amber and Emma to take a little trip to the garden centre and peruse the plants, trinkets and clothing section.

The two ladies live on different floors (known as streets in the home) at Edenmore, as the home is organised into smaller households to support the different nursing and care needs of the people living there.

Although spending time in different streets for different activities or events is encouraged, some family members prefer to stay in their own households, so may not always socialise with people living in different parts of the home.

Outings like these give family members the chance to stay connected with the local community, while spending time with others who share their interests, much like heading out with a neighbour or friend when living at home.

The outing gave Lillian and Shirley the chance to bond over their interest in gardening, with both sharing a particular love for roses. They stopped to smell a few of the flowers and reminisced about the kinds of roses they had each had in their own gardens.

Team member Emma shared about the outing, ‘They were non-stop chatting away to one another throughout, asking one another's ages and where they used to live. It was so lovely to watch them natter about their lives.’

The team at the garden centre were very helpful and even allowed the ladies to pull up a few of the display chairs so they could all have a quick sit down and chat before setting off again to look around at the clothing section (at Lilians request!)

At the end of their outing, Shirley and Lillian arranged to meet in Lillian’s household, Torrs, the following day for coffee and a chat.

Emma added, ‘It was such a beautiful moment. They gave one another a kiss on the cheek and a cuddle and said how lovely it was to have made a new friend!’

The next morning, Shirley was supported upstairs at 11am as planned and the two spent a few hours chatting before sharing lunch together too.

Since then, they have also enjoyed a special afternoon tea prepared by the kitchen team in Shirley’s household, The Quays, where they discussed the possibility of living on the same street with the team! Something the home is now looking into. 

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

The Burton at Bideford celebrates 75 years with 'Let's Clay!', bringing Northern Devon's ceramic heritage to life.

This October, The Burton at Bideford marks its 75th anniversary by transforming its galleries into a working ceramics studio, including the first firing of its 'Kiln in the Park' in 13 years.

Since 1951, The Burton has been bringing world-class arts and culture to Northern Devon. This autumn, the museum will celebrate its anniversary by looking not only to its remarkable past, but towards the future of ceramics and creativity in the region.

 

'Let's Clay!' turns the main galleries at The Burton into a ceramics studio designed by artists Joanne Masding and Sarah Silverwood of co-operative clay studio Modern Clay. For the artists, the studio is "a space of play, testing and exploration". They invite people of all ages to "poke fingers through time", connecting the ancient geology of North Devon clay with the tactile experience of making and the enduring nature of fired ceramics.

Through drop-in sessions, workshops, talks and demonstrations, visitors will be able to connect to clay as material, enjoying ceramics as a living creative practice that continues to bring people together. Artists contributing to the public programme include Simon Bayliss, Edie Evans, Elin Hughes, Taz Pollard, Popalini and Jezando, Clare Twomey and Jam Westwood.

A major highlight of 'Let's Clay!' takes place on 28 October, when The Burton fires its wood-fired Bottle Kiln in Victoria Park for the first time in 13 years. Recently renovated with the support of Bideford Town Council, the kiln will be brought back into use as part of The Burton's 75th Birthday Celebrations.

Twenty invited potters will have work fired in the kiln, offering visitors a rare opportunity to see it in action and experience the drama of a traditional wood firing. Artists taking part include Dylan Bowen, Charlie Collier, Florence Dwyer, Russell Kingston, Vicki Lindo, Elke Lucas, Penny Simpson, Erica Taylor Low and Paul Young.

Ceramics and clay have played a defining role in Northern Devon's history – from the distinctive red and white clays beneath its landscape to the workshops, potteries and port that made Bideford a centre of international trade. During the 17th century, pottery was exported across Britain and the Atlantic, while the region's traditions of making would later influence the development of British studio pottery. Today, Northern Devon remains home to an exceptional community of ceramic artists and makers, whose work continues to build on this remarkable legacy.

'Let's Clay' forms part of a wider programme of work that brings The Burton's ceramics collections into conversation with contemporary practice, including:

• In August, Ceramics Artist in Residence 2026 Edie Evans launched an exhibition of new work exploring the connections between architecture, ceramics and North Devon's clay landscapes.
• In September, The Burton's first Curatorial Fellowship (Ceramics) will be appointed with generous support from The Headley Trust, aiming to transform curatorial research into the museum's collections.
• In October, a new public art commission by artist duo Supergroup (John Booth and Ian McIntyre), will launch in Bideford. Led by Torridge District Council, curated by Company Place and funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the project has been developed with local young people and explores the town's past, present and future through artworks inspired by its geology, pottery tradition and evolving identity.
• In Spring 2027, The Burton's ceramic collections will be reimagined in Ceramic Futures, relocating them to the ground floor of the building to transform public access with support from DCMS/Wolfson Museum and Galleries Improvement Fund and The Headley Trust.

As The Burton celebrates 75 years, this work reflects a wider commitment to investing in people as well as collections, creating opportunities for future generations through research, creativity and participation. By connecting heritage with contemporary creativity, The Burton is ensuring its collections inspire new ideas, skills and stories for years to come.

'Let's Clay' runs from 14th October – 7th November 2026 Free entry. 

Join our 75th Birthday Party Kiln Firing, 28th October, 4-8pm. 

at The Burton at Bideford, Kingsley Road, Bideford EX39 2QQ.  

For more details see www.theburton.org

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'Let's Clay' Image Credits
Puzzle Jug - Illustration by Ryan Ward (Oddasea)
Kiln Firing and Kiln by Ruth Squires
Marcus Stalmanis via Modern Clay