THE Church of the Good Shepherd at Four Marks hosted this year’s Summer Holiday at Home.

Attended by around 50 senior members of the community, despite being some 30 miles from the coast, this year’s theme was a seaside holiday.

Guests, many of whom may not see neighbours or family over the summer, were welcomed by more than 40 volunteers sporting red ‘Love Four Marks’ shirts.

Each day began with a welcoming drink and a biscuit and a quiz followed by seated aerobics. Guests then had the opportunity of participating in various crafts and activities, ranging from willow withy weaving to making seaside-themed teapot stands and from painting sun catchers and flower arranging to making magnetic book marks and painting pebbles.

They also filled shapes with coloured sand, a nod to Alum Bay,and tried their hand at fabric painting shopping bags and colouring sea themed pictures.

Holiday at Home co-ordinator Frank Maloney said: “We were able to try the perennially popular jigsaws and a ‘Seaside Arcade’ of pastimes, including shove ha’penny, bar skittles, bagatelle, hoopla, a giant Connect Four, and pin the tail on the donkey.

“One particularly successful activity was the memorabilia table where both guests and helpers could take time to hold the artefacts and remember when...”

Each day lunch was provided by the ladies of the Four Marks Over-60s Lunch Club, supported by some husbands and children.

In the afternoon, the entertainment continued.

On the first day guests took part in a paper dart throwing competition followed by listening to live music from the ever-popular Men in Black.

The next day they enjoyed a pub-style quiz and a showing of the Four Marks Millennium Film ’Didn’t Everybody Look Young!’, introduced by its producer, Peter Matthews.

And on the final afternoon guests were enthralled by a talk from a farmer about his forebearers in the 1830 Swing Riots in Selborne, when some villagers were punished by being transported to Van Diemen’s Land – or modern-day Tasmania.

“Imagine our surprise when the time loop was closed by one of our guests who told us she had been to Tasmania, and in the north of the island is a village named Selborne!” said Mr Maloney.

The afternoon continued with popular music played by Trevor Burch, who encouraged audience participation in a dance and sing-along.

Each day was closed by the Reverend Howard Wright, who bade each guest farewell before they left in their ‘charabancs’.

The Holiday at Home team have acknowledged the welcome grant assistance from ward councillor Deborah Jackson, without which the programme would not have been so interesting.

The Church of the Good Shepherd Christmas Holiday at Home is on December 7.