Ed Sheeran unveils dementia unit in his name but residents decline a sing song

Residents at a care home passed up the chance for a sing song with the world-famous singer Ed Sheeran who cut the ribbon on a dementia unit named in his honour.

The international singer Ed Sheeran may have met his match and some tough music critics when he visited Mills Meadow care home in Framlingham to open its new Sheeran Suite but some culinary treats made up for it.

Ed Sheeran was able to tuck into a soulful homage to his music thanks to lyric-inspired dishes cooked up by its chef.

Some of the treats included:

• I See Fire: sung for hit film The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was recreated in a prawn and chilli tapas dish.

• Tenerife Sea: brought to life in a medley of tapas dishes.

• Drunk: epitomised on a plate as beer-soaked cheese on toast.

• I’m a mess: a mini Eton mess with shortbread biscuits.

The song’s Lego House was depicted in a celebratory cake with lego bricks and a small smiling effigy of Ed decked out in an iced outfit.

When the chef ran out of ideas, Sheeran’s film Jumpers for Goalposts, about his Wembley Stadium performances in July 2015, spurred him on to scatter an array of woolly jumpers amongst a table of teacakes and tasty tarts. The award-winning musician, whose song Afire Love, written in memory of his grandfather who passed away due to Alzheimer's Disease, was only too happy to chat with residents, after the care home contacted his mum, who lives locally, to set up the visit.

Care home manager Sue Hill said: “We are all still buzzing from the visit. He was lovely, really relaxed. The residents weren’t really keen on hearing any singing but they really enjoyed seeing him.

"It was one of the residents who suggested the new dementia unit be named after Ed Sheeran because he is a local person who has done so well.

"The chef certainly made an effort with the food. I think Ed was a bit taken aback.”

The visit proved to be a family affair with his mum Imogen and dad John popping in too. The care home, run by Care UK, gave Ed Sheeran a £500 cheque for the charity of his choice East Anglia’s Children's Hospices, which the singer is patron of.

One resident Eileen Dennis, who previously owned two record shops, chatted to the singer about how she had met The Beatles at Abbey Road, which proved to draw the envy of her younger visitor.

But it was soon Eileen’s chance to be impressed when she described her love of the Rolling Stones and was told: “I played with them”.

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