14/11/2025
VIP Remembrance Lunch to Honour Care Home residents 🌹
Guests from across Norfolk came together to show their respects at a poignant Remembrance Day event in Downham Market.
The event was to honour Kingsley Healthcare Group care home residents
from Thorp House in Griston, Buckingham Lodge in Watton and Downham Grange in Downham Market
and was attended by honoured guests including representatives from RAF Marham, Norfolk Constabulary, RNLI, Anna Chaplaincy, Downham Town Council and The Rawthey Project.
Residents and Guests enjoyed music followed by Lunch served by Downham Grange Head Chef Dave Crooke who served in the Army Catering Corps in the Household Cavalry Knightsbridge, London seeing active service across the world in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Sierra Léon, Iraq and Afghanistan spanning over 27 years.
He has served in 18 different regiments before ending with the Number One Masterchef position within the British Army honouring his culinary career. 👏
Kingsley Healthcare Community Engagement Coordinator (East) Marcia Hughes thanked residents for their contributions in WW2 which involved childhood experience to Service within the RAF, WREN, Land Army, ATS and the British Army and reflected on memories of terrible hardship and sacrifice to celebrations of liberation.
Downham Market Mayor, Cllr Michael Lane also spoke of his “great admiration and respect for our servicemen and women past and present”.
Residents’ memories were read out remembering one as a child of 9 who had to learn how to put on a gas mask as part of her school lesson and another of a young man of 18 and the atrocities he was faced with on Sword Beach 15 hours after the first invasion.
Residents were then presented with a Remembrance Day gift by the VIP guests followed by an ovation of thanks for their “resilience” and reassured that their “stories and sacrifices would not be forgotten”
The day was also represented by Captain Emma Hallums from the Rawthey Project, who served 26 years in the Army Air Corps serving in Afghanistan, Ireland and the Balkans.
The Rawthey Project is one of Kingsley Healthcare chosen charities, a volunteer led organisation which continues to support anyone in need but predominantly Ex and Current Service men and women who may need physical, mental and emotional support including PTSD after discharge from the Armed Forces which sadly many people still struggle to talk about.
