Ark full of life

Adam Hewitt • Last updated 30 Oct 2008 12:54 0 Comments

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CARE home residents got all the fun of the farm while sat in their favourite chairs.

Mobile farm service Miller's Ark visited Austen House Care Home in Kilnsea Drive, Earley on Tuesday afternoon, but because the weather was so cold all the animals came indoors.

Residents got to stroke and hold a pig, goats and baby goats, a Shetland pony and its three-month-old foal, rabbits, guinea pigs, geese, ducks and bantams.

Activities manager Ann Garrett said: "It was lovely, and everyone enjoyed having the animals inside. We helped put the pens up and the covering down, although I think we might be in trouble with the cleaners.

"It really brought back memories for some of the residents - Gwen Daniels was holding a rabbit and remembered that she used to keep them as a little girl, she wanted to keep this one too and asked to take it to her room.

"It was emotional for Roland Cowdrey too, he used to have a smallholding with all sorts of animals so it made him really quite sentimental. We can't wait for them to come again."

The farm service, based at Odiham in Hampshire, has made the trip an annual event, although last year's was nearly cancelled because of foot-and-mouth restrictions.

Link: www.millersark.co.uk

This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 25 Sep 08

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