A LUXURY Whitley Bay care home has celebrated its first birthday – and one of its first residents was at the heart of the occasion.
Bay View House – which started life in 1907 as The Waverley Hotel and later became the Rex Hotel – opened last year following a £12m renovation and refurbishment by owner Prestwick Care Group.
And one of the first residents to move in was 86-year-old Valerie Brisbane – so it was only fitting that she be invited to help blow out the candles on the home’s first birthday cake.
A keen fan of the late singer and actor Mario Lanza, Valerie – and the home’s 30 other residents also enjoyed a special live performance from Rat Pack-style singer, John Fletcher.
The 86-bed home provides residential care, general nursing, dementia residential care and dementia nursing, with four luxurious penthouse suites for residents who wish to be cared for while maintaining maximum independence.
There is a bar, cinema room, restaurant and hair salon as well as numerous lounges and family rooms for social events and entertainment or simply for quiet times.
And many of the bedrooms and communal rooms have windows offering uninterrupted views of the sea front, with its extensive beaches and historic St Mary’s Lighthouse to the north and the coastal village of Cullercoats to the south.
Outdoor spaces and seating are also available where residents and visitors can enjoy sunny weather and clean sea air within the home’s courtyards, or at the secure fourth floor roof terrace.
Prestwick Care – which has been providing care services in the North East for more than 35 years – is part of Malhotra Group PLC and CEO Bunty Malhotra, said: “It has been one of my proudest achievements to bring this magnificent building back to life and to create a wonderful home for Valerie and all our other residents.”
For more information call Bay View House on 0191 5003600, email bayview@prestwickcare.co.uk or visit www.prestwickcare.co.uk.