Residents enjoy Mary Poppins-themed garden party and show at a New Forest care home

Residents from four Hampshire care homes came together for a Mary Poppins-themed garden party complete with acting and music.

More than 100 guests enjoyed the singing, dancing and costume spectacular at Colten Care’s Woodpeckers home at Brockenhurst in the New Forest.  

The get-together was designed to continue the spirit of the Lymington Carnival held earlier in the summer, at which a 70-strong ‘Team Colten’ led the community parade.

Residents and staff chose Mary Poppins as the theme of their float, spending weeks beforehand making dresses, kites, umbrellas, a merry-go-round horse and other props associated with the much-loved magical nanny.

The garden party showed the fun didn’t stop there, with the props re-used and songs and scenes from the musical performed by team members amid smiles all round. 

Face-painting, stocks and a giant snakes and ladders game were among other activities laid on for families with children.   

Among the guests were members of the Lions Club, organisers of the Carnival.

Joining the residents at Woodpeckers were parties from Colten Care’s Lymington homes Belmore Lodge, Court Lodge and Linden House.

Court Lodge Home Manager Sam Reid said: “We had a fantastic party to continue our summer of fun. It was lovely to see so many residents, families and friends coming together and having a great time. A great deal of preparation went in to make it all happen but as Mary Poppins would say, ‘in every job that must be done, there is an element of fun’ – and we certainly found it!”