MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

May Christmas bring a special warmth to your heart,

And leave behind many wonderful memories.

Happy Christmas!!

from

Service Users and staff at The Oaks

Mulled wine and minced pie.....

And here are some more photos from the Mulled wine and minced pie party which we found. They are so great that we felt we should share them with everyone else.

Mulled wine and minced pie morning!

Any excuse is good for a party, especially before Christmas. To help all of us get into the Christmas Celebration spirit we organised "mulled wine and minced pie morning" last Thursday.

Thank you to all guests, friends and families who joined us that morning.

Great time was had by all! And here are some photos as a proof.

A Fond Farewell

We are sad to say that Martha and Graham will be temporarily leaving us soon, each going on their own expedition of the world. Graham is going exploring in India, and Martha is working the ski season in the French Alps. While we wait for the exciting tales upon their return, they will be very much missed in their absence.

A warm welcome to the new staff

A warm welcome to Jess and Punam who have recently joined that staff team at the Oaks! We look forward to getting to know you. Good luck!!

Happy Halloween!!

As the eve of Halloween dawned, the guys got to work decorating the home in honour of the supersticous celebrations. Ghostly bodies hung from the light fittings, while mummies and vampires hid expectantly in the corners of the windows. Bert and Fred (two eerily insane looking pumpkins) greeted guests at the front door as a witch flew through the sky. We celebrated Halloween with a small buffet party and were joined by Anne and her friend Catherine, as invited by John Morris. We chatted the night away, leaving little food to be found. I hope I'm not jinxing it when I say I think a spookily wonderful time was had by all...

Mark In The Kitchen Again

Mark has been at work in the kitchen again to prepare some dinner for all the guys. I'm told he enjoyed a cup of tea in one of our new almost-a-pint sized mugs whilst tossing the stir fry in the other hand. Yet he and John James promtly had a delicious meal on the table.

John James the Entrepreneur Baker

John James is not only the Oaks support worker but also an entrepreneur baker! John began his baking as a hobby back in February, making simple pastries. He has since progressed to extravagant cup cakes. He has frequently delighted us all by bringing in his experimental creations for everyone to try and has also baked his way into the world of show biz! Recently he created the cup cake now know as 'Cake Fat' which went on to be the official cup cake of comedy tribute band Take Fat. John has also given cup cakes to help the National Deaf Society and often gives his cakes to the homeless.

John's cakes can be seen at www.stamfordcakery.webs.com

Ellen Earns a Treat

Ellen has had a brilliant week, always keeping busy and upbeat. Now to top it off she has earnt enough stars to get her reward. This time she has chosen to go to Worcester Citizen's Swimming Pool with Beth. She came back extremely pleased with herself, telling me that she had swum back and forth not 10, not 20, but 30 times! Ellen had said she is going to go more often from now on, not only to get fit but also because she enjoys it so much.

Jane rustles up a roast!

Jane has spent an afternoon pottering around in the kitchen with Charlotte, listening to music on the radio and drinking a coffee whilst casually putting a roast gammon dinner together. She peeled the spuds, copped up the carrots, and had all the veg prepared and ready to be steamed in good time, and was just keeping a close eye on the roasties and the onion gravy when I went to see her.

Dinner was on the table punctually at 5.30pm, unfortunately just in time to tickle my senses and make my mouth water before I left. But the reviews I heard were excellent. I just hope this isn't the only one Jane cooks!!

Mark and Jane on Tour

Jane, Mark, John James and Maureen have had a fantastic time on holiday in Brean.

Since action speaks louder than words, have a look at some photos of the things guys where doing during their holidays.

Ellen at Work

Ellen has recently started volunteering at a coffee shop in one of Malvern's local surgeries. Ellen says she really enjoys her job and loves talking to customers. We all at The Oaks think that Ellen makes the best cup of tea.

Ellen's Moving Up

Ellen has proudly announced that she will be moving up a group at her DBT training sessions. This comes after a special visit from Sean Slater who has been to inform her personally. Despite knowing that this will mean harder work, she and the staff are ready for the challenge!

A Warm Welcome

A warm welcome to Peter who has recently joined us at the Oaks. Already we are growing fond and think you will fit in really well. We hope for a long and happy future together!

Holidays, Holidays and even more Holidays

Mark and Jane have been thinking about taking a weeks break at the end of this Summer. One of the top places on their list is Ocean Lodge Holiday Park in Brean, Somerset. The park is in a beautifully quiet, secluded location, with its own swimming pool and within easy walking distance of the picturesque 7 mile stretch of golden sandy coast line that joins Brean to Berrow and Burnham-on-sea.

A Brand New John

John and Martha have spent a day doing some serious shopping in Worcester. The manager of Marks and Spencers even personally said she couldn't wait to see them again. John has invested in a very sleek, smart dinner jacket and several new pairs of trousers (much needed since he has been doing so well on his diet). He also sought out his own camera to take with him on his special trips and holidays, and even possibly for some day to day creative pottering. And as if that wasn't enough, they finished the day in one of John's favourite cafes 'Cafe Rouge' for dinner. Here are some of the photos.

A Day Out in Ledbury

Ellen, Jane and Mark have spent a day visiting the traditional market town of Ledbury, where the original 17th century market hall still stands. Although the weather wasn't great they all had a good time. Ellen and Jane loved all the small, vintage cloths shops and Mark was happy to see so many cafes to stop by for a cup of tea.

Great Witley Court

Ellen and Jane have spent a morning drinking coffee and eating an icecream, absorbing the sunshine in a glass, conservatory style cafe, surrounded by the

magnificent gardens of Great Witley Court. Afterwards they wondered around some of the flowers all in bloom, and relaxed on a bench in the shade, chatting away and taking in the scenery. All agreed that the trip was defintely to be repeated.

Ellen steams ahead

Ellen has enjoyed a beautiful sunny day making a round trip from Worcester's North Key to Tewksbury and back by steam boat. She went with Claire as her chosen reward for collecting so many stars for her chart. Together they shared a picnic, making the most of the British Summer weather. From the raving reviews were heard when she finally came home, it sounds like this is a day trip to remember. She said it was one of the best things she had done, and she would definitely go again.

Ellen and Claire where so excited about their trip that, unfortunately, they forgot to take any photos. Instead here is a photo of Ellen with her star chart.

Jane's Jewellery

Jane has spent the afternoon working with a huge array of different beads with the help of Maddy's expertise. Jane is becoming a dab hand at shaping the metal with the pliers nowadays. By the end of the afternoon she had made herself a gorgeous necklace to join her collection, and some beautiful colourful pieces of art work too.

And here are some other beautiful pieces from Jane hand made collections: