Happy 103rd birthday to Gwen Keane who is a resident at Harper Fields Care Home in Balsall Common.
Gwen Keane celebrated her 103rd birthday on August 26 with 103 huge balloons and a vintage tea party. Glamorous Gwen even had a red carpet under a balloon archway.
A projector screen played video messages from Gwen’s family, friends and even some Strictly Come Dancing stars sent her special messages. Plus the local Firebird singers recorded Happy Birthday and performed a special rendition of ‘We’ll Meet Again.’
Gwen said: “I loved every minute of my party I felt like a princess”
The team at Harper Fields had set a challenge to the local community on Facebook, to send in birthday cards for Gwen so she could receive 103 or more cards on her special day. She ended up receiving 145 which she thoroughly enjoyed reading.
Gwen’s daughter Angela said: “Mum was born the youngest of seven children in 1917 in Leeds.
“She got married to my father in 1951 and quickly had two children, a daughter and a son. Before this, she worked as a personal assistant in an office but gave it up as many women did in those days when she married. Her life was then devoted to caring for my brother and myself, and her mother who was in her 80s by then and lived with us.
“Mum loved to socialise and help people: she did some voluntary work, was active in the Townswomen’s Guild and was always on hand to help out neighbours or family who needed anything. She never learnt to drive but would get on a bus, train or walk to wherever she needed to get to whether that was a day trip out with friends, a weekly trip to the hairdresser, shopping expeditions or to see a relative. In her sixties she started going to keep fit classes, she swam and tried out line dancing.
“Mum had been married for just over 63 years when my father died in 2015. She and my brother moved from Leeds to Balsall Common so that I could look after them both but even then she was still very independent. She moved to Harper Fields in 2019 where not even a broken hip following a fall has kept her still – she’s on the go the whole time.
“Keeping busy and active has kept her going along with the odd glass of sherry!”
We’re all raising our glass to you here at the Observer. Many happy returns.
