Almshouse Association Trustee Tricia Scouller sent us in some great photos of the party held at the Thomas Christie Almshouses in Bedford at the end of August.
Residents, trustees and staff joined in our 75th celebrations and those of almshouse charities all over the country.
It was a day to get on the party clothes and blow away the cobwebs of the last 18 months!
There was lots to catch up on and it looks like everyone enjoyed a wonderful garden party with a delicious afternoon tea and plenty of smiles!
History of the Thomas Christie Almshouse Charity
Thomas Christie was a seventeenth century Bedford lawyer. Not an especially wealthy man, but he cared about the needs of his community and used his money to provide enduring benefits for Bedford.
His biggest act of generosity came in 1682 when he built eight small almshouses in St Loyes, in the centre of Bedford. When he died in 1697, his will enabled needy people (often widows) to continue living in the little homes he had built.
In the 1960s, Bedford was being redeveloped and while these eight homes were no longer suitable for life in a modern world, their location in the centre of Bedford and long back gardens meant they were valuable properties.
The charity sold these homes, bought land along the Embankment and between 1964 and 1968 built the semi-circular Queen Anne-style building with 16 flats that they still have today. Built on the remaining mound of Bedford’s eleventh century castle, it has lovely views of the River Great Ouse and residents enjoy a prime location with easy access to the town centre.
The almshouses have communal gardens linking the two buildings and most residents have planters and hanging baskets outside their flats to enhance the beauty of the almshouses.
The residents prize their independence and individuality within the overall safety of the Thomas Christie community and for those that want to join in, there are social events that take place throughout the year; breakfast club, curling evenings, coffee mornings, tea parties, lunches, games afternoons and visiting speakers, choirs and singers.
