The community gathered at Blenheim House care home recently for a festive celebration as it switched on its Christmas lights.
Blenheim House welcomed over 250 guests to its annual lights switch-on event on Saturday 30th November. The evening featured a sensory tunnel of lights, animated reindeer displays and Chloe’s Farm as a live nativity.
Entertainment began with performances by One Voice, Melksham’s Community Choir, followed by carols sung by Calne Silver Band. The event was praised by attendees, with one guest saying, “The Christmas lights switch-on at Blenheim was a wonderful experience.”
Another attendee said, “We particularly enjoyed listening to the choir and brass band and it was a joy to see my Mum singing along to the Christmas carols.”
Guests enjoyed festive refreshments including mulled wine, mulled cider, hot chocolate and barbecue food. Santa also made a special appearance, delivering presents to children to add to the festive cheer.
Despite a last-minute challenge with transport, Chloe’s Farm provided an alternative nativity experience, bringing Rusty the Goat, Ronnie the Sheep, guinea pigs, rabbits, chickens and ducks.
Volunteers from the Friends of Blenheim group, alongside staff and residents, ensured the event ran smoothly, helping with the snow machine, serving refreshments and preparing food.
The event also saw appearances from Melksham’s Mayor Cllr Tom Price and Deputy Mayor Cllr Saffi Rabey, who joined the celebration with their families.
One guest said, “We had a wonderful evening, it has got our Christmas off to a great start! Thank you for all the hard work in making such a successful event.”
Blenheim House’s events manager, Chris Preston, said, “We are absolutely thrilled with how the evening turned out. Seeing so many families, friends, and residents come together to celebrate really captured the magic of the season. The choir, the band, the lights, it all came together beautifully.
“A huge thank you to our staff, volunteers, and everyone who made it possible. Events like this remind us how special our community is and we are so proud to be a part of it. We wish everyone a very merry Christmas and look forward to more celebrations in the future.”
Pictured: Chris Preston, Blenheim’s events manager with mayor Cllr Tom Price
