Carnival takes resident AJ back to his roots as the Caribbean comes to Honey Lane

Our residents and team members were transported to the Caribbean with a colourful party inspired by the Notting Hill Carnival, with food, music, dancing and colourful costumes.

For Archibald James – known as AJ – it was powerful reminiscence, generating memories of his home country of Guyana.

AJ, aged 86, said: “The music and the food brought me right back to my roots. It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten authentic Caribbean food, I had a wonderful time eating, drinking, and dancing.”

The care home team, who were finalists at the Care Home Awards 2025 for Best For Wellbeing, dressed up in brightly coloured costumes and had flower garlands and headdresses available for those residents and their guests who wanted to join in with the theme.

Activities included games of Limbo – which originated on the island of Trinidad – the tricky act of passing under a low bar without falling or dislodging it.

Desta Blanchett, care assistant at Honey Lane, is from Jamaica and took over the kitchen for the day to make everyone authentic Jamaican dishes, including curried goat, rice and peas, and fried chicken.

“I love that the lifestyle team decided to do a carnival this year, I was very eager to get into the kitchen and cook up my traditional Jamaican food,” said Desta, who admits she has a passion for cooking.

“It was a blessing to see so many of our residents and their relatives enjoying the food, I received so many compliments! I could not believe the number of residents that tucked into the food and enjoyed it – I was a little unsure as many had never tried Jamaican cuisine before.

“I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the day and loved to see everyone have a good time.”

It was resident Ethel Spiller’s first taste of the carnival experience. The 87-year-old said: “I enjoyed the music and dancing, and I thoroughly enjoyed the food. I’d never tried Caribbean food before and surprised myself by how much I liked it. It’s great to still be trying new things even in your 80s!”

Diane Kent, whose mum Mary Esau is a resident at Honey Lane, said: “What a fabulous afternoon, it was so much fun! There was such a good atmosphere, and the team went to so much effort.

“My husband and I were laughing on the way home, thinking about all of the brilliant outfits. It was lovely seeing Mum smiling and having a good time, I couldn’t believe how much she enjoyed the food.”

Angela Sacks, manager at Honey Lane Care Home, added: “Both team members and residents love taking part in festivals from other cultures. We always try to personalise our events, organised throughout the year, around the interests of our residents.

“Inclusivity is so important, and that always begins with chatting to our residents and discovering their histories and what is significant to them. It provides a greater sense of belonging, connection, and community.”

Located on Honey Lane in Waltham Abbey, the 38-bed care home is rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). In September, the care home was crowned overall winner at Waltham Abbey in Bloom.