A 'chatty and lovely' woman celebrated her 102nd birthday with a special afternoon tea party at her residential home. She shared memories, and that all important secret to her long life.
Dorothy Donegan, from Coventry, marked her massive milestone birthday at Clarendon House Care Home in Allesley, saying her secret to a long and happy life includes tea, biscuits and the occasional glass of sherry. The bubbly 102-year-old would no doubt have been in her element, as her birthday tea party saw her enjoy traditional afternoon tea food including tea, cakes, biscuits and sandwiches.
Witty Dorothy whose zest for life sees her enjoy word searches and spirited discussions about the Royal Family, reminisced about her long and happy life, which started in Hampton-in-Arden. As reported by CoventryLive, Dorothy lived with her parents, three sisters and five brothers.
Speaking about her childhood, she said: “I enjoyed my life, my life was a good life. We are quite a big family.
“I had a good mother and father. We used to play, and we used to follow the lads over the field.”
Asked what they used to get up to, Dorothy laughed: “I am not telling you! Oh no, that is a secret what we used to get up to.”
Dorothy said her father taught her how to play dominoes which she still plays to this day. She said: “My father was a big dominoes player, he used to play dominoes at the pub and we played cards too.”
With Christmas approaching, Dorothy spoke of her fondest festive memories with her siblings. She said: “We used to get in their bed and they used to get in ours to see what presents we had received.
"I always had an apple, an orange and some chocolate biscuits.” However, her childhood was tinged with sadness after the tragic death of her young brother who was killed while riding his motorbike.
Dorothy said: "It was a very sad day for Dave. He was a lovely brother, full of life and laughter.”
Dorothy went on to marry her beloved husband Gerald, who was born in Wales, with whom she spent 53 years before he passed away. She worked at Standard Motor Company in Coventry until her son John was born.
Nowadays, Dorothy likes to sit back and relax, playing board games, doing word searches and looking through magazines. She also likes to watch quiz shows on TV.
Laughing, she said: “I watch anything as long as it is clean!” She loves watching the singer who performs each week at Clarendon House Care Home too.
Dorothy has a fondness for tea and biscuits, saying: “I love a cup of tea. A hot cup of tea goes down like nectar.”
Dorothy shared some of the wisdom she has gleaned over the last century, saying: “Just carry on and live a good clean life. Praise the Lord for what he has given you.”
Asked how she feels about reaching the milestone age, she said: “Oh not bad! I am going to run around the playing field soon.”
Laughing about her younger days, Dorothy said: “If there are boys about I will have 'em!” Dorothy's wit and charm have led her to become a beloved resident at the care home.
Carer Tracey Bates said: “Dorothy is a lovely lady and is very chatty. She also likes her own company, but she is very chatty about her life.
"She loves doing her word searches and talks about the Royal Family. Just tea and a slice of cake, you know, that is all she asks for and she has that every day."
