A NIGHT of glitz and glamour descended upon Wellburn House in Ovingham last Thursday.

After months of major refurbishment work, the care home celebrated its grand opening night in style as the red carpet was rolled out.

But the VIPs of the night were the home’s residents themselves.

Managing director Rachel Beckett, who took over the family-run business 18 months ago, headed up the project.

“My previous experience of running a successful interior design practice in London meant that I was able to draw on years of knowledge and that really helped.” she said.

The revamp includes a fully redecorated dining room, lounge, foyer and a new family cafe.

In addition, a giant fish tank has been added to the foyer, which has gone down well with residents.

The evening’s guest list was a mix of residents’ families, off-duty staff and friends of the home. And they were treated to some live entertainment by soprano Samantha Holden who sang everything from Cole Porter to Disney favourites.

Once the dancing and singing ended, they were treated to some mesmerising close-up magic, provided by 19-year-old Josh Benson who was performing locally for the last time, before heading off to star in Gary Barlow’s new West End play, The Girls, based on The Calendar Girls .

The home’s manager, Yvonne Campbell, said: “Tonight has been so special. The last few months, with all the building work going on, it would have been easy for residents and staff to drop their heads, but they’ve all been brilliant and this night is for them.

“The place is looking fantastic and they all deserve it.”

Rachel added: “We couldn’t be happier with the results. For all of us, the aim was to make it feel like a home from home. And we’ve achieved that.”