450 YEARS of birthdays have been celebrated at a Teesside care home as five residents turn 90 within six weeks of each other.
A joint party was held at The Beeches Care Home, on Green Lane, Newtown, Stockton on Tees, for Audrey Arscott, Catherine Longbottom, Elsie Booth, Violet Pinnegar and Harry Dunning.
The five residents were all born in 1930 between the 9th June and 12th July – the first year of the Great Depression and the same year astronaut Neil Armstrong, actors Sean Connery and Steve McQueen and investor Warren Buffett were all born.
Audrey and Cath share the same birth date, on 9th June, with Violet just two days later, on 11th June. Elsie Booth was born two weeks after, on 24th June, and Violet was born three weeks later, on 12th July.
Elsie, who is originally from Stockton, worked at chain store Timothy Whites and then in a factory. She had six children with her ex-husband. She moved to The Beeches Care Home in September 2014. She said: “I was really looking forward to celebrating my 90th birthday but I don’t feel 90.”
Catherine, originally from Batley, in North Yorkshire, worked as a weaver, then a traffic warden and retired at the age of 55. She has one daughter and a granddaughter with her late husband. She moved into The Beeches in December 2019. She said: “It’s nice to have a party but I don’t usually like a fuss.”
Audrey lived on the Portrack housing estate, in Stockton on Tees, and worked as a dinner lady. She had a daughter and a son with her late husband. She moved to The Beeches in June 2015.
Violet grew up and lived in Stockton and was a domestic worker at North Tees Hospital. She was married for 56 years, before her husband passed away, and has two daughters, four grandchildren and one great grandchild. She moved into The Beeches in November 2015. She said: “It’s lovely that the staff have put a party on for us all.”
Harry was born in Thornaby and worked in the Teesside Steelworks. He was married to Jean, who passed away in 2011, and they had two daughters and one son. He moved into The Beeches in April 2015.
To mark the residents’ 90th year, staff put on a buffet lunch, with cakes made by the kitchen team, and arranged for entertainer David Allcock to perform their favourite songs.
Jacqueline Rudd, home manager at The Beeches Care Home, said: “We wanted to throw a special party to celebrate 450 years of birthdays between five of our residents who all turn 90 within six weeks of each other.
“Everyone had a fantastic day and entertainer David, who is the father of one of our staff members, gave us an excellent performance. Many of the residents were singing and dancing along to the classics.”