A pop up pub is doing a roaring trade at a care home.
The residents of Pendine Park’s Hillbury home in Wrexham love the atmosphere and can play dominoes, cards, bingo, take part in a pub quiz or have a dance as well as enjoying a drink.
The Hillbury Arms serves two beers, Pobli Bobli which is a light summer ale and Pobli Wobli, a darker, more traditional bitter, which have been brewed for Pendine by Bragdy Dinbych (Denbigh Brewery).
With care staff behind the bar, residents can also sample a non-alcoholic cocktail or a range of other soft drinks.
In many ways it’s the perfect local because all the drinks are on the house.
Before last orders was called for the day, 85-year-old resident Peter Hodder was able to savour a glass of wine as he enjoyed the venue’s relaxing ambience.
“I like the fact I can sit here and have a drink. It’s nice to be in the pub,” he said.
“There’s a good atmosphere. It’s nice that they do things like this.
“I am enjoying it. I like it when they turn it into a pub.”
While Peter was content to sit and soak up the atmosphere, another resident was strutting her stuff on the dancefloor.
Ann Ashfield, 77, danced away to old jukebox favourites such as Rock Around the Clock.
“I enjoy dancing and it’s nice to be able to dance here,” she said.
“I like living at Hillbury and getting to do things like this.”
Their fellow residents enjoyed chatting to each other, playing games and singing to the music.
Hillbury House, which caters for old people and those affected by varying stages of dementia, regularly stages activities to enrich the lives of residents and help stimulate the mind.
It is hoped that the pop-up pub will help stimulate recollections of happy family occasions at pubs for residents.
Hillbury manager Cindy Clutton said: “We are trying to make the experience of going to the pub to be similar to what our residents will have enjoyed in their lives.
“People may think that if you are in a care home you are going to be sitting there doing nothing all day.
“But the residents actually get to take part in a lot of different activities here.
“It is nice to see how much our residents enjoy going to the pub, as they interact with each other.”
“It is amazing how doing something like this lifts both the residents and the staff,” she said.
One of the staff members engaging with the residents and serving them drinks was care practitioner Louise Parry.
She said: “We enjoy having the pop-up pub here and to see how much it means to the residents.
“They are clearly enjoying themselves.
“It is nice that they can have a drink, dance to the music and play dominoes.
“We are happy to do whatever we can to make it special for them.”
