A former RAF flight mechanic enjoyed a party to celebrate his 100th birthday at a Ferndown care home.
Tony, who lives at Fairlawn care home, was thrilled to be joined by his family for the special occasion. This included his son, Christopher, who had flown from Denmark, and his other son, Paul, who had travelled from Torquay to be with their dad on his big birthday, as well as Tony’s extended family. Tony spoke to his other son, Stephen, on FaceTime, who lives in Sri Lanka.
When asked what the secret is to turning 100, Tony said: “Just luck.”
At the start of the Second World War, Tony was an RAF flight mechanic, which saw him travel across Europe and eventually ended up in India, where he was demobbed. After leaving the forces, he worked as a draughtsman, which saw him planning and making maps. Tony then moved to Kenya to live with his father, which is where he met his first wife, Barbara. Together they welcomed three sons before moving to Australia, where the family lived for 20 years. He went on to meet his second wife, Rosie, who already had three daughters. Tony retired in Australia in his 50s.
His son, Christopher, added: “Growing up, he was always a patient and gentle dad to my brothers and me, and then supported his second wife Rosie’s three daughters. When I think about what the secret to him reaching 100, he’s always enjoyed full-fat cream and butter, and he gave up smoking and alcohol around 20 or 30 years ago.”
Tina Vincent, Home Manager at Fairlawn, said: “It was wonderful to see Tony surrounded by his family for his 100th birthday. He appreciates everything we do to provide care and support to him at the home, so we were keen to make an extra special effort on his birthday. At Care South, we love to get to know the individual wishes, likes, and dislikes of our residents, so we were pleased to enable Tony to create lasting memories with his loved ones.”
Fairlawn, which is run by the not-for-profit charity Care South, provides residential, respite, and dementia care. The care home features a range of communal lounges overlooking landscaped gardens for residents to enjoy. Fairlawn has a dedicated activities team who organise a daily programme of events to bring residents together to socialise and build friendships.
Care South is a leading provider of high-quality residential and home care services across the south of England. The not-for-profit organisation, which is a registered charity, has care homes in Dorset, north Devon, Somerset, and West Sussex, and home care offices covering east and west Dorset, northeast Somerset, and south Somerset.
For more information about the care services available, go to care-south.co.uk or call Care South on 01202 712410.
