Hatton Grange care home celebrates three milestone birthdays

Hatton Grange care home in Hyde, Greater Manchester, has had plenty to celebrate this month, with three residents marking milestone birthdays within just a few weeks. Irene Moore turned 101, Blanche Harrisson turned 104 and Margaret Wood celebrated her 105th birthday.

While each resident had her own individual celebration, the home also held a joint event attended by family, friends and fellow residents.

Irene grew up in Manchester and began working at the age of 14 in a glove factory. Some of her happiest memories are of Sunday afternoons spent in Hyde Park listening to brass bands, and of attending Sunday school with her family.

Blanche also began working at a young age, taking a job in a slipper factory before being called up at 18 to support the war effort. She worked first in an aircraft munitions factory before training as a welder in Barrow-in-Furness. Among her happiest memories is meeting her future husband, a young man with striking blue eyes, at a dance in Morecambe. The pair wrote to each other throughout the war, and he proposed the moment he returned home.

Margaret, who turned 105, grew up in Manchester and puts her long life down to her love of cycling. She recalled riding her bicycle everywhere, even when the roads were little more than dirt tracks. Margaret later worked as a shorthand typist.

The joint celebration was a memorable occasion, honouring not only the residents’ remarkable ages, but also the rich stories of their lives, which they continue to share at Hatton Grange.

Blanche said:

It's been a wonderful day, one that brought back so many happy memories, especially of my dancing days in Morecambe. It's not every day you get to celebrate a birthday like this, let alone alongside two other lovely ladies here at Hatton Grange.

Angela Brown, Home Manager at Hatton Grange care home, added:

It's not often you get to celebrate three residents reaching such special ages, all within weeks of one another. Irene, Blanche and Margaret each have such wonderful stories, and it was such a pleasure to see them celebrated, surrounded by friends and family.

For more information about Hatton Grange care home, please click here.