Musicians: Arthur Lea (piano, vocals) Barney Keen (guitar, percussion, vocals) Nat Keen (guitar, percussion, vocals)
To celebrate the King’s Coronation (and the bank holiday!) The Spitz joined Bridgeside Lodge residents, staff, and visitors for a garden party, live music, and a barbecue. We were joined by musicians Arthur Lea and brothers Nat and Barney Keen who put on a wonderful show, catering for everyone’s tastes, swapping instruments, and including all comers in the band.
Residents and carers flooded the sunlight garden for the biggest audience we’ve had so far this year. As one enthusiastic resident said: “It’s a great turnout today! Great to see everyone!”.
Union Jack bunting criss-crossed the the garden and coronation-themed paper glasses were mandatory. Long trestle tables were laid out with a freshly barbecued feast. Many residents had family and friends visiting who joined in with the celebrations. There were also a couple of BSL’s neighbours attending. They told us: “We love your music. We usually open the window and look out when you visit!”
This community feel is one of the things we love about events at BSL. Residents get a chance to socialise with a wider range of people, meet neighbours from different floors, and form relationships. They can experience top-quality music and be involved creatively if they choose to. These are things that make a notable difference to well-being and quality of life.
Resident JR performed his original songs (written with Nat). He used the microphone like a seasoned professional and afterwards said he felt like a rockstar. JC appeared in the garden, guitar in hand, to rapturous applause and immediately joined the band on stage. Small percussion instruments were offered around and enthusiastically accepted by many of the audience as Nat gave shout-outs to various residents for both their musical contributions and their song requests.
