Patients and staff of the Isle of Wight’s St Mary’s Hospital literally tasted what it was like to be VIP guests at the royal wedding last Friday.
As three of the Friends of the hospital visited wards with a gaily decorated trolley everyone was offered a slice of iced rich fruit cake. Each piece was wrapped in red, blue or white tissue paper held together with a specially designed label showing the initials of the happy couple.
“We just did not think people being cared for, and those caring for them, should entirely miss out on the big day,” explained the Friends’ shop manager, Lorraine Herbert. “And I am sure our cake proved every bit as delicious as the one to be eaten by Prince William and Catherine, and their guests.”
June Ring, a board member of the Friends – a charity largely comprising unpaid volunteers – thought up the idea of a cake. After being purchased from a well known store, it was carefully divided into no fewer than 380 pieces then given its patriotic wrapping.
The ‘wedding cake’ was one of the more unusual purchases made by the Friends to improve the lives of the Newport hospital’s patients and staff over the years. Normally, through legacies, donations and profits from retail sales, the Friends pay for much needed medical equipment and other facilities. Last year these amounted to well over £100,000.
