A specialist tea room & noshery supporting learning disabled adults.
Step inside and you’ll find coffee, tea, specialist teas, hot chocolate, yummy cakes, gateaux, refreshing drinks and afternoon teas. There’s always a soup of the day and, when the weather turns colder, goulash and stew too — and no doubt a few other things I’ve decided to make along the way! 😂
The atmosphere inside is relaxing, calm and welcoming. That was exactly what I wanted when I rebuilt the tearoom myself, with the help of a maintenance company and a very good friend in Bourne.
I’ve upcycled the furniture, the counter and even the kitchen. It’s taken a lot of time, a lot of hard work and probably a few more ideas than I really needed! 🤣 But we’ve achieved our five-star rating and I’m as proud as punch.
Even more so of our adults.
Every day is different here and every day is fun. Our adults are learning, building confidence, getting involved and becoming such an important part of the tearoom.
Mark is doing a lot more in front of house now too, which is helping him, and our wonderful customers are helping make all of this happen simply by coming through the door, having a cuppa, eating some cake and enjoying the tearoom with us. ❤️
We have people visiting from all over Lincolnshire, Peterborough and Norfolk, as well as Friskney, Wainfleet, Old Leake, Boston and plenty of places beyond.
So come in, have a look around, have a cup of tea or coffee, eat some cake and stay for a while.
That’s what the tearoom is here for. ❤️
Facebook Posts
Good morning 😊It's been a while!I've been on a bit of a journey lately. Not the sort involving a suitcase, a beach and a nice hotel, unfortunately. More the sort where you can't get from A to B without a committee meeting, a recovery plan and possibly a winch! 🤣I've learnt a lot whilst trying to heal, and although I'm pretty sure we're covered for physical disability, I'm going to put that to the test for myself as soon as I'm mobile enough. There's nothing quite like having to experience something yourself to discover where the problems are. Suddenly, things you never gave a second thought to become an Olympic sporting event!I've started repairing a few bits at home, too. I have a few roof leaks on my conservatory. No, I've not climbed up there… yet! 😂 I've identified what I need and managed to repair a few things from the inside. I'm not saying I'm steady on my feet, and with the weather as it is, I've not been venturing outside much. I'm recovering, not auditioning for a circus act!I must thank Adrian and Samantha for all their help with getting me mobile, which is hopefully going to happen soon. And my sister, who's been helping me look forward rather than backwards. It's easy to keep looking at what you could do before, but I'm learning to concentrate on what I can do next. One small step at a time, even if that step currently requires the planning department! ❤️I've set myself a few goals each day. Sometimes it's simply getting into the lounge and sitting for a while. A bit of dusting if I'm feeling adventurous, although I'm very grateful for my robot floor cleaner and vacuum cleaner. They're doing a sterling job whilst I'm supervising from the comfort of my recovery programme. Every household should have staff like that, and they don't even ask for tea! 🤣I've also learnt to shower again, which, I don't care what anyone says, makes you feel so much better. It's amazing how something you usually do without thinking can suddenly feel like you've climbed Everest. No flags planted at the summit, but a clean person at the bottom! Small victories count.I've been looked after so much by friends who've cooked for me, bought things for me and kept me entertained. I've even had a meeting with an outside agency in my bedroom! Luckily, I know them well. It would be a bit of a surprise if a complete stranger turned up to discuss business whilst I was still tucked up in bed! 😂Whilst my body has been trying to remember how to function properly, my brain has clearly been doing overtime.I've redesigned the entrance to the tearoom. It's going to take time and money, but given my predicament, I'm trying to make access and parking easier for our customers. If life hands you a temporary change of direction, you might as well see if you can improve the road whilst you're there!So that's plan 3, with a little bit of plans 1 and 2 thrown into the mixing bowl.Plan 1 was just about to get underway but has been delayed. I know what needs doing; it's just working out the how, when and who's going to do it. Apparently, recovery doesn't come with a project manager, so I've had to appoint myself! 🤔🎉🎉 THE BIG NEWS! WE REOPEN ON MONDAY 26TH! 🎉🎉Yes, you read that correctly! The tearoom is reopening on Monday 26th!Now, before you all come looking for me, I won't be there in person just yet. I'll be nearby, keeping an eye on things and ready to firefight if needed. At least, that's the plan until I get my new cast on Tuesday. I'm hoping that, with all the help I've been blessed with, I'll soon be able to get out and make my way up to the tearoom.I've always said the tearoom is about our adults, and I have enormous confidence in them. One of our Directors will be at the helm, our participants will be doing what they do best, and I'll be somewhere nearby, probably trying not to interfere! 😂Think of it as taking the stabilisers off a bicycle. I know they can do it, and it's time for them to show everyone what they're capable of. Of course, I'll still be on standby. I'm not quite ready to hand over my imaginary firefighter's helmet!Unfortunately, apart from two cakes, I'll have to buy in our cakes for now. Believe me, this is probably harder for me than it sounds. Being kept away from my kitchen is like asking a fish to take up cycling! As soon as I can get back into the tearoom and start cooking and mixing again, I'll be back doing what I love.There'll be a temporary menu, which I'll post later, but there's still plenty to choose from. So don't think we're reopening with a kettle, two biscuits and a prayer! 🤣What matters most to me is that our participants feel proud of themselves, gain confidence whilst I'm missing and discover just how much they can achieve. I want them to enjoy the experience, support each other and realise that they're an important part of what makes our tearoom special.And that's where you come in.PLEASE COME ALONG, SUPPORT THEM AND HELP MAKE OUR REOPENING A SUCCESS! ❤️Give them your encouragement, your smiles and your lovely conversations. Let them know they're doing a brilliant job. A little kindness and patience go a long way, especially when people are learning, growing and stepping up.My recovery journey is still very much a work in progress. At the moment, I'm probably more tortoise than hare, but at least I'm moving in the right direction! 🐢There are still plenty of hurdles to negotiate, and I suspect a few more unexpected adventures along the way. But I'm looking forward, making plans and taking each day as it comes.The tearoom is reopening, our adults are ready to shine, and I'm not going to let a cast and a slightly rebellious body stop us moving forward.Monday 26th. Put it in your diary. We're back! 🎉☕🍰See you later! 😊Please share, so people have the opportunity to support out adults
WritingGood morning. This isn't an update on me, I'm sure you're pretty bored of that by now, but a review. 🤣 I've never broken a bone in my life, so this is a new experience. When it's your arm, I guess you can just about cope. When it's your leg, hip or ankle, it's much more complicated, as that balance you've always relied on has suddenly been whipped away from you. If you've followed me for a while, you'll know my balance isn't great anyway, thanks to my spinal stenosis. My left leg is affected more, which is why I have the occasional fall. So losing the use of my right ankle has posed a whole new set of problems. Forget the pain for a moment. How do you cope on your own? Mum had a few things around the house that I could use. We did have her rollator, but I've no idea where that went. I think we've lent it to someone, but I'm not sure. 🤔 So, how was I going to get about? The peeing in a bucket wasn't ideal, and I needed my independence back. I live on my own in this part of the world, so I needed to be able to manage some things myself. Forget standing around or cleaning. I'm talking about the bathroom, showering, washing my hair and all those everyday things you take for granted. So, I started looking at ways to get around. My initial thought was to use a rollator, rest my knee on it or sit down and push myself along. Not bad in a large area, but manoeuvrability was an issue. Then a customer and a friend both mentioned knee scooters. They're slim, a bit like a scooter, and actually quite light and easy to move. Yes, you might have to do a 50-point turn in a small space, but they work! So I ordered one, now called Neil. 🤣 I wasn't keen on spending a lot of money, especially as I didn't have much money to speak of, so I did some investigating and found one on Amazon. I'll add the pictures below. The knee pad, which also acts as a seat, was perhaps set a little too high for my first adventure. The handlebar height was lower, but I felt more stable with everything low down. Now I'm using it more, I could probably raise the handlebars. Neil has a shopping-type bag at the front, which is very useful for carrying my phone, just in case anything happens. My bedroom has carpet, but the rest of the place has wooden or tiled flooring. In my case, the brakes aren't something I'd rely on completely. Perhaps they need adjusting. On carpet, you don't seem to move as much, but I've actually found the hard flooring better because I can swing the back end around quite easily. He fits into my small bathroom with ease. I can reverse out or, if I'm feeling particularly ambitious, turn him around. Not quite a 50-point turn, but my hands can move him around without too much difficulty. Neil has two wider wheels at the front, a footrest, which I currently have on the wrong side, and two wheels at the back that are much closer together. I haven't quite worked out what to do with the footrest yet. 🤔 There were more expensive versions, although I'm not quite sure what the extra benefits would have been. Neil has definitely been worth purchasing. I only found one second-hand one, but obviously I couldn't get there. To be honest, it was £70. Neil cost me £104 all told. I'm not averse to spending that sort of money. I'm a carer and, of course, a volunteer, but I'm so glad I bit the bullet. Highly recommended! Next, it was the loo. Neil got me there safely, but the drop onto the toilet seat is just so low when you're unsteady, let alone when you can't put weight on one leg. I'd seen toilet seat additions, most around four inches high. I wasn't keen on having one, but it was another necessity if I was going to keep my independence. I ordered one with its own seat, six inches high. So much better! I'm only 5ft 3, but this height was perfect. No more sliding down and struggling to get back up. The marble walls have probably heard enough of my adventures already! 🤣 It cost £44, but with the lid on top and the extra height, I felt it was worth it. I didn't want to buy that second-hand. If you can manage a higher seat, I'd recommend it. After all, those extra two inches made all the difference. 😇🤣 Next came shower day. I can't get the cast wet, so I ordered a shower cover for my leg. This was essential. There was no way I was going back to A&E to get the cast changed because I'd managed to soak it! Again, I shopped around, read the reviews, weighed up the pros and cons and looked at the prices. For £8.45, with a good discount from Amazon, I bought a shower boot. It was a bit of a struggle to get on at first because the rubbery material around the top is quite tight. This one was guaranteed not to rip and could be used over and over again. I didn't want to keep throwing them away and buying new ones. The bin bag idea was good, but not perfect. Besides, my affiliation with bin bags isn't a good one if you read yesterday's post! 🤣 For something reusable, I didn't think the price was bad. Once it was on, the material was good, and it kept my leg completely dry. It was a little tight around my thigh, although it didn't let any water in. Perhaps if I'd pulled it down to the top of my cast, just over it, it might not have been so tight. No circulation problems, just a tight fit. It did its job, dried well and wasn't flimsy. A bargain! I already had a shower chair, which is a must if, like me, you have a weak leg or bad hips. I've seen them second-hand. Mine isn't perfect, but it was Mum's, so it's staying. The legs could do with a bit of paint, but I don't have the time or inclination to do that. It would need waterproof paint, something like Hammerite. That's another job for another day, and we all know how those go! 😂 And finally, my last expense was SlimGuy. I've seen these sorts of things in Tesco. I think they're around £15, but SlimGuy was more expensive at £33. However, he offered more stability, was made from a memory-foam-type filling and was washable. Well, the outside was! He has arms that wrap around your sides, pockets in the arms and an attached head pillow if you want it. He's pretty stable, too. Usually, after an hour or so propped up on pillows, I slide down and end up almost horizontal again. Having only one foot to push myself back up isn't ideal, especially when it's the weaker leg. For a last thought, although I'm not going to do anything about it because I'm happy enough, the bed is a little low. Not by much, but getting myself off it and onto Neil takes a bit of effort. I did look around at other online shops, but went back to Amazon. Being a Prime member made the items cheaper, including postage. Now I'm on the hunt for a mobility scooter or electric chair. This will have to be second-hand, depending on what works best with my leg and the rough ground I need to travel over. The tearoom entrance isn't a problem. The ramps we have are spot on, and many of our customers in wheelchairs or scooters manoeuvre around inside perfectly well. It's the stability on grass that I'm concerned about. Hopefully, it won't be too muddy, but who knows what the weather will do between now and December! 🌧️ One of the problems with buying second-hand is the batteries. I do have one of those folding scooters, but I remember that even after we had its folding mechanism fixed, it still played up. Getting that sorted is another option, but I don't know how much it would cost. It was expensive when we bought it for Mum, so I'll have to investigate. So, I'm no specialist by any means, but I've had to think outside the box to stay independent. I've probably done too much, and I know it because my ankle is aching. But now I've mastered so much, there's not quite the same urgency to get everything done at once. One step at a time, or in Neil's case, one wheel at a time! 🤣 Now, if I can just master getting the tearoom open without wearing myself out in the process, we'll be getting somewhere. See you later. 😊
