Care home 'hits back' at Boris by recreating iconic album covers

Care home residents have recreated hit album covers by dressing up as David Bowie, Adele and Michael Jackson in defiance of Boris Johnson's 'wholly inappropriate' comments about care homes.

Residents at Sydmar Lodge in Edgware, North London got fake tattoes as part of wacky makeovers and their hair was styled by staff before they were photographed to recreate some iconic album covers.

Robert Speker, the activities coordinator at the home, which has been in lockdown for four months, said: “I had this idea and started taking photographs of residents who had a vague similarity to famous artists.

"Ninety-nine times out of 100 my ideas just about succeed.”

Lockdown art sees 93-year-old become 21 year old Adele

Ninety-two year-old resident Toba appears as Michael Jackson in the recreation of his hit album cover ‘Bad’ and Madonna’s ‘True Blue’ album cover stars Lily aged 93.

Vera who is 93-years-old poses as Adele for her '21' album and Roma, aged 86, appears as a young David Bowie for the ‘Aladdin Sane’ cover.

Elvis Presley was also not spared the Sydmar Lodge treatment and even care staff also got in the act by posing as the band Queen.

’We had a bad hit from Boris Johnson so we’re hitting back’

Sydmar Lodge care home has been in lockdown since 12 March and is COVID-free.

Care home manager Julie Davey told carehome.co.uk: “It’s been a bit grim. The residents, they’re not daft. They see the news, can pick up a newspaper. Care homes have taken a bad hit with a certain person’s comments. Boris Johnson".

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on 6 July: “We discovered too many care homes didn’t really follow the procedures in the way that they could have, but we’re learning lessons the whole time.”

"His comments were wholly inappropriate and were incredibly hard for residents to hear.

“We had a bad hit from Boris, so we’re hitting back.”

The clues of what messages the residents want to send to Boris Johnson could be gleaned from the album titles themselves.

'True Blue' Boris Johnson may be but 'Aladdin Sane' was also portrayed by the care home residents.

Rag 'n' Bone Man was 'on her bucket list'

For 93-year-old Sheila, the photo shoot of herself on the cover of Rag 'n’ Bone Man’s album ‘Human’ was very personal as she is a big fan of the singer.

Julie Davey explains: “She had put it on her bucket list to see him perform so the care home arranged for her to go to his concert.

"She met him before he went on stage and he signed and gave her that album cover.

“The residents, they loved it. It was a little bit of attention. It’s all about making people feel good. I did Madonna’s hair and I’m quite proud of that.

“Residents were able to show the covers to their families. We’re proving that the show must go on”.

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