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A specialist dementia care home brought the Royal Wedding celebrations to Waltham Abbey this week, with staff staging a mock ceremony and traditional “knees up” for their elderly residents.

The royal occasion took place at Honey Lane Care Home on Tuesday afternoon (15 May) following several weeks of preparations, which saw residents create an intricate custom wedding dress from scratch with the help of local school children.

Residents at the home — which looks after 38 people, all of whom suffer from dementia — put in dozens of hours of work to create the dress for their Meghan Markle stand-in, carer Sabrina Oliver.

It featured over 50 red, white and blue beaded squares to represent the coming together of the US and British flags and was chosen by the local community from a shortlist of four designs.

Former dressmaker Doris Everall, who was just one of the residents who pitched in to bring the design to life, said seeing it on Sabrina had “brought tears” to her eyes.

She said: “I did a bit of the dress. I was a dressmaker years ago and my sister did all my bridesmaids dresses.

“They are old ones but they are new to me.

“When I saw the whole thing it brought tears to my eyes.”

The 79-year-old also described how much she had enjoyed working with children during the wedding preparations, adding that watching the flower girls had brought back memories of her own wedding.

She continued: “My favourite bit was when all these school children came and made the squares with us.

“As soon as I came into the room they all came towards me. I feel so lovely with a child, knowing they want me here and love me.”

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Fellow resident Freda Mitchal, 88, agreed that the children had made the occasion, adding: “My favourite bits were the children and the dress.

“I enjoyed making the dress. It was nice seeing it.”

Ninety-five-year-old Doris Hammond meanwhile said the couple had “carried it off really well” and that she had “loved” the music — classics from the likes of Vera Lynn as well as the Wedding March.

The blushing bride walked down the aisle in front of residents and their family members to meet her real-life fiance and fellow carer Thomas Pearson at the altar, where a mock ceremony took place.

Guests recited the Lord’s Prayer and sang traditional hymns from memory, while the couple swapped rings and shared a kiss after being pronounced man and wife.

Staff at the home had hoped that the occasion would help residents who ordinarily “never get the chance to go to a wedding” feel part of the occasion, while providing a valuable boost to their wellbeing.

The residents even spent the morning before the ceremony being pampered by the home’s in-house hairdresser Mel Annear and getting their makeup done.

Speaking before the ceremony, Honey Lane lifestyle coordinator Jackie Berritt said: “The residents look amazing, they’ve loved it.

“It’s been like a real wedding, it feels so exciting.

“A few times I’ve sort of choked up because it’s so sweet, just seeing them sitting in the chair getting their makeup done.

“Having your hair done makes a huge difference to them, because they’ve done it throughout their lives for years.

“They go in, and knowing they’re going somewhere after, it’s like a transformation when they come out.”

Fellow lifestyle coordinator Terry Baldwin added: “They’ve been so proud to be part of it, they feel really chuffed.”

After the ceremony, wedding guests watched as the happy couple cut the cake and fed each other a slice.

The cake — the same elderflower and lemon drizzle cake that Harry and Meghan will enjoy at their own wedding — was adorned by the wedding topper that 89-year-old resident Dorothy Quinland used at her own wedding 70 years ago and was baked by her daughter Sue Sully.

They were also cheered on by outgoing Waltham Abbey mayor Mick Finch, who said it was “important” for care homes to offer such activities to their residents to help with their wellbeing and memory.

He said: “The memory of this day might not last too long but it’s important for the old folk.

“I spoke to one guy in another home who could remember flying a Lancaster Bomber, but didn’t have a great short term memory.

“The residents here knew all the words to the hymns — you bring the old stuff out and they’re right back there again.

“If that’s what they’ve got to hold onto then that’s what you’ve got to do.”

The Royal Wedding fun will continue at Honey Lane on Saturday (19 May), when the residents will watch the real occasion on the big screen whilst tucking into a buffet meal.