Heanton Nursing Home welcomes former pupils back for St Christopher’s reunion

Heanton Nursing Home welcomed dozens of people from the local community through its doors when former pupils of St Christopher’s School, which was based in the historic building until 1985, returned for a special reunion.

For former pupils, walking through the building brought back plenty of memories, from the rooms and original staircases they once used to stories of travelling to and from school. While the former classrooms have since become living areas for family members at Heanton, many were pleased to find the beautiful view across the burrows unchanged. There was plenty that was new to discover too, from the extension to the grounds and flowering lawn.

The reunion also gave family members at Heanton the chance to be part of a much wider community occasion, sharing their home with people who had their own memories of the building. Family members spent time outside amongst the visitors, enjoying the company and conversations, alongside a friendly neighbourhood cat who regularly visits Heanton and also joined the gathering!

Home Manager Abigail Denford said: “One of the things we heard again and again was how beautiful the view still is. Heanton has obviously changed enormously since it was a school, but it was lovely seeing people recognise parts of the building and then share those memories with the people who live here now. Being connected to the community around us is really important to life at Heanton. A nursing home shouldn't feel separate from the community it belongs to, and days like this are a lovely example of what can happen when people come through our doors and spend time together.”

There is something rather special about seeing people return to a building that was once such a big part of their childhood. Heanton has changed considerably since the days of St Christopher’s, but at its heart, it is still a place filled with people, friendships, conversation and care. The children who once filled its classrooms have grown up, and today a new generation of people call Heanton home.

For more information about life and activities at Heanton Nursing Home, please visit Activities in Care – Heanton Nursing Home

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