Family and friends came from far and wide to join Westerham Place Care Home resident Hilda Graty for her 103rd birthday.
Hilda is known to those closest to her as ‘Mickie’, a nickname that she was given during the war years. For a large part of her life, Mickie worked with her husband helping him to run the family building business and has been living at the care home for the last three and a half years.
Mickie enjoys birthday celebrations at the home with her friends and family each year, but this year she was joined by relatives from as far afield as Holland.
Amongst those celebrating at Westerham Place were her two children, David and Gill, granddaughter Gemma, and her niece Joanna from Holland.
Mickie is a keen participant in the activities programme at the home and particularly enjoys the regular pet therapy sessions. As an animal lover herself, Mickie loves to spend time with the home’s resident cat, and the manager’s dog, who is a regular visitor to the home.
Care Home Manager of Westerham Place, Claire Davis, said; “Mickie is an enthusiastic member of the Westerham Place family and we have loved spending this special birthday with her.
“We all thoroughly enjoyed the birthday party and hope Mickie had a wonderful time.”
Mickie added; “It was just wonderful.”
While talking about the reasons they chose Westerham Place, Mickie’s son, David, said: “We looked at so many cold and manufactured care homes when looking for a home for mum, and Westerham just isn’t like that. It is a home from home and all the staff are absolutely brilliant and you can see they love doing their job. We have had no concerns ever.”
