The community at Middleton Hall Retirement Village celebrated the start of the 125th anniversary year with a packed week of events and entertainment.
Three lively parties, a fireworks display, a 125-mile exercise bike challenge, burial of a time capsule, history talks, guided estate trails and Victorian-themed activities were all part of the schedule that the teams had lined up to mark the memorable milestone.
Middleton Hall was first established on 23 April 1900 and in the 125 years since the business has evolved to become the award-winning employee owned retirement village of today, featuring independent retirement properties alongside luxury care services and supported apartments.
To celebrate the achievement a series of events were organised for the village’s property-owners, care residents and families and co-owners.
A giant tipi was erected for the occasion on the estate’s bowling green and was the heart of the week’s celebrations.
It was the venue for three celebratory concerts by acclaimed singer-songwriter Alistair Griffin and Ignite Concerts for residents from across the village and co-owners featuring a mix of British classics, timeless hits and pop favourites along with a spectacular fireworks display.
Throughout the week the tipi also hosted an anniversary coffee morning and quiz and an opportunity to explore Victorian artefacts from Preston Hall Museum. A day of indoor and outdoor traditional carnival games rounded off the week’s events.
Other highlights of the programme of anniversary celebrations included a talk about the Hall’s history by Middleton Hall’s Founder Trustee Jeremy Walford, a presentation about the Stockton & Darlington Railway 200 celebrations by the National Railway Museum team and the chance to discover more about a range of metal detecting finds found on the estate.
Residents and families enjoyed a guided tour of the grounds followed by a ceremony to bury a time capsule with artefacts reflecting life at Middleton Hall Retirement Village today to help preserve a snapshot of the present for future generations.
Middleton Hall Retirement Village’s Director of Hospitality, Adam Wardale, said that it had been a busy and memorable week: “We are very proud of the friendly and supportive community we have in our unique retirement village and it was wonderful to be celebrating such an impressive milestone together.
“It’s quite a feat to be marking 125 years and our teams pulled out all the stops and created an incredible week that will last long in everyone’s memories.”