The Solas Day Centre, in collaboration with Alzheimer Scotland (Lewis & Harris) and NHSWI Health Promotion Department, recently ran an event which saw Councillors Alistair Maclennan, Alasdair Macleod and Maggie Mackenzie, Hebridean Connections, Ness Historical Society and An Lanntair, all come together to provide activities to stimulate memories for the Centre’s dementia clients.

Maggie Smith offered some Gaelic conversation, gaelic songs and melodeon playing whilst Jon Macleod provided a slide show of  food-related images – and some carrageen pudding!

A demonstration of butter making involving clients showed how hand memory can support almost forgotten skills.  Hebridean Connections brought some food related artefacts from Ness Historical Society and the tasting menu was made up of local delicacies (salt meat and fish, black and white puddings, and potatoes) plus barley soup made from a collaboration recipe, fresh local bread and several puddings including ‘real’ custard with rhubarb, duff, carrageen pudding, rice pudding, scones, shortbread, crowdie and cream.

After the meal, Councillors Alasdair Macleod and Maggie Mackenzie provided a lively talk on local foods such as ceann croppaig, razor clams (and a particular way of harvesting them), salt herring and offered some home made examples to take away.