A LEISURE CENTRE FOR SENIORS- THE LAURELS

Everything started with this slot machine, the pin ball machine and the train. All these machines really work.

13 September 2009 Margriet van Loon and I both bought a "shop" in which we wanted to make a leisure centre for seniors We had made a slot machine, a pin ball machine and a train during several workshops with Bert Aarts and we were looking for a suitable scene to put them into. We thought a leisure centre for seniors would be a good idea. These shops are 80 cm length and have a lot of "glass" to look through. That is why we found them suitable for the purpose. On second thoughts we did not like the paper with stones motif so we pulled that off. And the brown windows were a bit gloomy, so we bought some light coloured paint. Unfortunatly we forgot to use a primer so the first layers of paint withdrew in wood. We painted, put on wall paper, and made walls. The centre consists of a large room and a small room. The small room will be the domain of the craft club and the place for the train.

For years I had a cutting machine but I hardly dared to use it. But during the making of this project I learned to overcome my fear and even enjoy it! For both rooms I made paneling and after that I found I had had enough practise for the difficult task: a wooden floor

I never dreamt that I would be able to make a wooden floor. I started with making the design and buying the wood. All those wooden strips had to be cut in lots of tiny pieces. To do this safely I made a cutting guide from an old  cigar case. Then I could start cutting, and cutting and cutting.....  so many little pieces. And then I had to glue them together! Margriet also made a wooden floor. I was so proud after I had finished it!

The time has come to do something about the exterior of the house. With the use of templates and stone powder we made little stones. After we had done that we were not entirely satisfied. Later we gave the stones and the cement more colours using acrylic and water paint.On the upper windows we made stained glass using thin lead and glass paint. A very precise but pleasant work to do. Look, how nice it is with the lights on and the train table in front of the window. Unfortunatly I dicided later to put the leisure centre in a cupboard without the front!

Now we will start making furniture. Before we start we need to know what kind of people will attend our centre. Margriet and I have a very different opinion about this.
Margriet says: seniors have worked all their life, now they must be free to do whatever they like.
But my opnion is that people want to keep the values they are used to.
In Margriets centre everyone is welcome, smoking and drinking is allowed, a little housepig wanders around the room and the mental state of the visitors is not important.
My centre use to be only for church members. Not any more but you can still feel the influence.
In my centre are several clubs eg. a craft club, a needle work club, a bridge/card club and a reading club.
The members of the craft and the needle work club make items of high quality and most of it will be sold in the charity shop.
The members of my centre have lead a  working and responsible life and like to enjoy nice hours with people who think alike. They are allowed to drink alcohol
in my centre, but not always and not too much. I do not have to explain this to my visitors, it is their life style too.
The name THE LAURELS  emphesizes this: to be honoured with laurels or to rest on ones laurels.
Because of our very different kind of visitors our centres will be very different.
This sometimes leads to heated debates during our miniature making.

Furniture had to be made! I had never done any so I thought it would be wise to start with the furniture for the craft room. I designed the drawer and the cupboard but it happened so often that I forgot to take account of the thickness of the wood. I had to start again a lot of times. I used a lot of wood but I learned from it. I was so proud of the cupboard with the 2 doors. Before painting the doors closed perfectly. Could not be better. But after painting them I had to close them by force and now they will not open again. Well, again I learned from it. Finally I was satisfied with what I had made. Tools, that was what I needed!

Making a miniature like my full size one was what I enjoyed very much. Like the Proxxon drill on its stand,the the sanding machine and the cutting machine.

Full size sanding machine with the 1/12th scale one on top.

The miniature sanding machine

Full size cutting machine with the 1/12th scale one on top.

The miniature cutting machine

Full size machine with the 1/12th scale one on top.

miniature machine

It seemed that the bar stools I bought  for the craftroom were too low. So I'd put some self-hardening clay on top and upholstered it  with some fine leather. Actually, it was an improvement.

The walls of the craft room. The right hand  side wall is covered with posters of trains. The left hand side wall has boats, sea life paintings and things you van find on the beach. Twice a week the train craft club is here, twice a week the boat craft club and once a week the repair club. They repair toys, furniture and make things for the centre. The items, waiting to be mend, are on top of the cupboard

So far the craft room
Now we go to the large room. He, is there someone leaving the room?

The bar was the first thing I made. Although it is known that seniors can be heavy drinkers, in this centre it is not a problem. At first the back of the bar was all wood. Margriet said: " That is not clever. If you cut the wood at the bottom you can put a crate there". She was right. I practised sawing a fancy border when I made the bar.

3 cheap tables look nice now.

Shelving for behind the bar. Melvin, the barman, is a very good help.

A saw is very sharp, isn't it Margriet?

The corner of the bridge/ card club. To make a chair was not so simple.  I was impatience. Before the glue had entirely dried I started to use the wood dye. In doing so I squashed the chairs and had to start gluing again. Another hard lesson.

The ladies of the needlework club embroidered these Laurel motif cushions

These 3 bar stools are made in the same way as I did the stools for the craft room. The centre begins to fill and is getting the right atmosphere.

Loes Diebels was so kind to help us make some wigs. An enjoyable day, we worked hard and I made 3 wigs! Unfortunately.......... That day was very hot and I  had opened th window in my room. During the night there was a thunderstorm and heavy rain. The next morning the dolls were laying in a pool of water and the wigs were completely ruined and in pieces. Tgey could not be repaired, I had to throw them in the bin.

A bid box

bridge table with bid boxes

peg

wall lamp

wall lamp

2 Nice armchairs for the ladies. I a magazine we found a pattern and started to make it. But soon we found out that it would be way too large so we had to make our own design. The lady by the chair is glad she can sit because she is not very fit. She was born with one leg longer than the other. Therefore she has orthopedic shoes; one sole is extra thick. Se wears support stockings and recently she has had radiation because of breast cancer. Luckily she has the centre to go to. Here she can relax, talk about her health problems, and have a good time with friends.

Getting older you might need some extra help. Wilma van Elderen tought us how to make a walker. The lady in the first picture needs a walker to come to the centre. The red walker is the "service walker". So the members can serve drinks and dishes of food without having to carry them. Very convienient. Walking sticks can be put in the umbrella stand.

This is how Margriet and I worked many days discussing the diffenrences of our centres. Although the centre looks finished, a few items still have to be made. Now we are thinking about a festive opening. The date of the opening is 20th November 2010.

When I made this site, it was october. The month in which we all think of breast cancer. The lady who has had the radiation had made little cards with a pink ribbon glued on them. She sells them and donates the money to Pink Ribbon. She is so glad that all the members buy at least 1 card from her.

May I introduce? The members of the Laurels

Ben Jansen

Jan jansen

mrs. de Boer

Mr Smart

mrs. Maluputti

gp. Beck

mrs. Snee

mrs. Klein

Melvin Zandsteen

mrs. Blerick

Ben Jansen and Jan Jansen are twins; mrs. Snee and mrs. Klein are cousins.

The Laurels is nearly finished.These are the last pics before the opening.

20 November 2010. Grand opening of  The Laurels.
We had made snacks, invited people, 2 cakes, speeches and a lot of laughter

			Margriet makes something delicious. Ceciel Wissink made 2 georgious cakes. This is the one she made for The Laurels. In the basket are papers. Margriet and I both wrote one side of it. Every one got a paper to take home.

After the speeches and the unveiling of the leisure centres we had prepared 2 workshops.
The workshops were related to the leisure centres and seniors.

In this workshop we made 2 books. One about each centre. After that we made a box to put the books into.

This workshop was quite hilarius. We made 2 different packages of Tena Lady. the small package fits in your handbag, the larger one is more economic. And, as you can see, we filled the larger box.

At the end of the day there was a glass of egg nog or "farmersboys".
These two drinks are old fashioned Dutch drinks.
Unfortunately, after that the opening day was over.
It had been a wonderful day and Margriet and I already know what our next project will be.

I have made a short film about the centre being decorated for Christmas.
unfortunately the spoken laguage in dutch.
http://www.youtube.com/user/annieminie?feature=mhum

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