A welcome surprise at local care home

Ashmere Nottinghamshire whose care homes are all based in the Mansfield and Ashfield area have been providing a short term rehabilitation scheme for the local hospitals for over twenty years now but a familiar face gave one of the home managers a bit of an unexpected surprise recently.

Paula Jefford is the care home manager of Sutton Court (Part of the Ashmere Notts Group, off Priestsic Road, Sutton in Ashfield) having worked for the company for over twenty years and she is a born and bread local having gone to school at Saint Andrews in Skegby and then Quarrydale Academy in Sutton in Ashfield. Paula along with the other staff from Sutton Court was delighted to welcome John Dunn to the home in January when he arrived having suffered a spell in hospital following an accident. John (or Mr Dunn as Paula preferred to call him for the duration of his stay!) was one of Paula's teachers at Quarrydale many years ago but both still recognised each other instantly and were delighted to catch up on old times.

Mr Dunn taught Music at Quarrydale Academy until his retirement in the late 1990s.

Paula was quick to encourage Mr Dunn to have a play on Sutton Court's piano to entertain the residents during his rehab stay and he in turn was quick to get Paula to play along. However soon after he remarked how Paula was still terrible at playing the piano and clearly should stick to her caring profession.

Mr Dunn said of his time in the home that he "would have never imagined him needing to spend time in a care home but was leaving having a great fondness for all the amazing staff" when he successfully completed his rehabilitation.

Ashmere Notts ltd employ 150 local staff across their homes: Sutton Court, Sutton Manor and Sutton Lodge, all based in Sutton in Ashfield.