Tea, scones and musical memories at Hard Rock Hotel

On Thursday 9 February, Hard Rock Hotel London colleagues welcomed 15 older people to enjoy afternoon tea and a tour of their impressive collection of music memorabilia to invoke some musical memories.

Guests were brought along by Penfold Community Hub, a local residential care home which also serves as a hub for older people in the Marble Arch community to socialise, exercise and participate in hobbies such as sewing and gardening. Attendees were hosted in a private room decorated for the occasion with balloons and confetti, and treated to sandwiches, cakes and scones, and of course a few cups of tea!

A group of older women sitting at a table decorated with balloons and confetti.

Tea, cakes and conversation at Hard Rock Hotel

Guests chatted away to Hard Rock colleagues and enjoyed a few games at their tables. One attendee brought along a wool design she’d been working on and gave a volunteer an impromptu lesson in how to crochet. The participants were then taken on a whistle stop tour of the hotel’s music memorabilia, viewing treasured items such as Freddie Mercury’s piano, Elvis Presley’s golden coat and Paul McCartney’s guitar. Music is a powerful way to bring back memories and encourage discussion, and the group were delighted to share trivia, recount song lyrics and share their opinions on music through the decades.

Tea, scones and musical memories at Hard Rock Hotel

A lesson in crochet.

Tea, scones and musical memories at Hard Rock Hotel

A guest collects memorabilia of his own.

The afternoon at Hard Rock Hotel was a wonderful way to offer older people companionship and the opportunity to share common musical memories. Guests from Penfold Community Hub had a wonderful time and we’re so grateful to the brilliant volunteers at Hard Rock who worked so hard to make this a truly magical event for our guests.

Tea, scones and musical memories at Hard Rock Hotel

Guitars at the ready for the memorabilia tour!

If you’d like to welcome community groups into your venue, or are keen to volunteer alongside your Marble Arch colleagues, do get in touch with our Community team to discuss how we can work together to support local people.