Easter is a time when the young and old get to show their colourful creations.
Yesterday, the seniors at the Geriatric Hospital as well as the tiny tots of the London Bourne Towers Nursery displayed hats that were tastefully decorated with Easter bunnies, chickens, eggs and lots of colourful flowers.
More than 20 seniors at the Beckles Road hospital showed the products of a month’s work in decorating their hats while close to 40 children at the London Bourne nursery relished the idea of having their picture taken in their colourfully decorated hats.
Undine Browne, nurse-in-charge of the Geriatric Hospital Day Care centre, said the parade was started five years ago and had a break for the past two years, but it would become a staple on the activity calendar starting this year.
Browne explained that even though the patients were in the hospital they still tried to keep them uptodate on what was going on in the community.
“We decorate every season, major holiday, any reason to celebrate we do. Every morning, we have prayers and deal with current affairs and we read the newspaper every day, so they know what is going on,” said Browne.
Activity nurse Janice Broomes, who worked with the patients in preparing the hats, said that it was the only activity they hosted for the Easter period because the hats took so long to complete.
Cleotta Ward, 94, said she was feeling very good in her hat which was decorated with yellow and white flowers and eggs.
“Easter means the death and resurrection of Jesus. I feel good in my hat. I am up. Thank God.”
Ena Collymore said that to her Easter was putting on a nice dress and going to church on Good Friday for the three-hour service.
She said she doesn’t get to go out to church anymore “but I still remember to say: ‘Thank You. God’”.
At the Child Care Board nursery at London Bourne Towers, the tiny tots paraded through Nelson Street and then posed for pictures back at the nursery.
Ordene Griffith, supervisor at the nursery, said that the theme for the Child Care Board this year is “New Beginning” and in moving with that theme they decided to host the Easter Bonnet Parade for the first time but intended to make it an annual event.
Griffith said the children were also taught the value of the Easter season and the parade was not meant to be a competition but fellowship for the children who got to choose the characters and decorations for their bonnets.
