Twin delights for rest-home residents

Residents at Leslie Groves Rest Home have been watching the world walk by their window during lockdown — and over the past week they may have found two of their favourite neighbours.

For the past week, 3-year-old twin brothers Edward and William Cubitt have been stopping by to check on their new friends through the Sheen St rest-home front window, and with a little prompting from their father, Mark Cubitt, doing a little dance and blowing kisses.

Gloria Stevenson (84) is among those in lockdown at the rest-home who now look forward to the daily visits from the "beautiful wee ones".

"Aw look, they are absolutely beautiful," she said yesterday. "And they give kisses by the window. They are gorgeous, really gorgeous — it’s lovely.

"This is something I’ve never experienced before."

With a son in Australia and two daughters in Dunedin, who were at the moment unable to visit, she was enjoying the impromptu, costumed performances by the little boys, but was looking forward to a time when visitors were again allowed inside the facility.

"It will be soon, hopefully," she said.

Leslie Groves Rest Home staff member Wendy Devenie said when the time was right, Edward and William and their father had been invited in for some afternoon tea and they would be served — as requested by the boys — "green chocolate cake".

Spirits were still high for residents, but the increased isolation had been hard for those who could not see their families at this time.

"Wee things like this are just huge," she said.