Second World War veteran Margaret celebrates 100th birthday at Barley care home
Margaret Gordon Dwerryhouse has celebrated her 100th birthday at Margaret House care home in Barley. Picture: Courtesy of Margaret House - Credit: Archant
A Second World War veteran has celebrated her 100th birthday at a Barley care home.
Margaret Gordon Dwerryhouse has celebrated her 100th birthday at Margaret House care home in Barley. Picture: Courtesy of Margaret House - Credit: Archant
Margaret Gordon Dwerryhouse – nee Dickson – celebrated her centenary on Thursday last week at Margaret House Residential and Dementia Care Home, with a very special cake and a card from the Queen.
Like many of her generation, Margaret has seen so many changes and survived so many hardships that reaching the milestone of 100 years old in the midst of a global pandemic may seem like a piece of cake.
Judy Murray dropped in on Margaret House care home in Barley via Zoom, much to the delight of residents. Picture: Margaret House - Credit: Archant
She was born in Scotland, and joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force in 1940 and served for 18 years before marrying a fellow airman, James.
His 26 years’ service brought the family to Hertfordshire as he was an engineer at de Havilland, now BAE Systems.
Residents got in the Wimbledon spirit with bowls of strawberries and cream. Picture: Margaret House - Credit: Archant
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Margaret’s service took her around the world and she was involved in some of the crunch events of the 1940s and ‘50s, helping with the administration of the emergency airlifts to Berlin and troop movements at the height of the civil war in Cyprus.
This, together with her postings to Egypt and elsewhere, led to her work being recognised and she was invited to the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Residents got in the Wimbledon spirit with bowls of strawberries and cream. Picture: Margaret House - Credit: Archant
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Margaret used her skills to become a CAB advisor and a treasurer on many charity committees.
She moved to Royston from Welwyn Garden City to be near her daughter and two grandchildren, but continued with her love of walking holidays.
She even visited Nepal, Peru and the Great Wall of China in her 80s. Now, whenever an exotic location is mentioned to her by a carer or visitor to where she lives, Margaret says “Oh, I have been there...” and she probably has!
• In other Margaret House news, Judy Murray has had a Zoom chat with tennis-loving residents.
Resident Enid Denchfield said “It was absolutely brilliant, although I had to be a bit careful when she asked me who my favourite tennis players were!”
Margaret House is very grateful to Sue Mott, sports journalist and founder of ‘Stepping out with Carers’, who arranged the ‘visit’ for them after remembering that a resident had mentioned on one of her walks how much they enjoyed tennis and that their uncle used to be an umpire at Wimbledon.
For more on Margaret House visit www.margarethouse.co.uk
