Morpeth care home's message to the future as time capsule is buried

Guest of honour for the ceremony at Riverside House, Low Stanners, was Mayor of Morpeth Coun Alison Byard.

Three residents – Bill Simpson, Ella Stephenson, and Jean LeGassicke – also took part in the burial of the capsule in the home’s garden area.

Residents and their families either donated or suggested items that should be contained in the metal container.

They include a Covid kit – a face mask and lateral flow test – coins, a copy of the 2021/22 Morpeth Town AFC annual programme and a recent edition of the Morpeth Herald newspaper.

A booklet called ‘Morpeth Town Hall and its Treasures’ was donated by the Mayor, who said: “Riverside House and its residents have done a great job in creating a snapshot of life from their point of view that will inform the community of what life was like here and in Morpeth in years to come.

“It was a real honour to be involved in the ceremony and I also thoroughly enjoyed meeting and chatting to the residents afterwards.”

The capsule at Riverside House, an independent care home with 46 ensuite bedrooms, is marked by a plaque at the burial spot.

Activities co-ordinator Richard Dobinson said: “We saw this as an opportunity to capture a moment in our community’s history and to create a lasting commemoration of the home and its residents.

“Residents have picked or suggested items that reflect their interests, backgrounds and routines, as well as life in Morpeth in recent times.”