100th birthday celebrations at Ambleside care home

Home news

Feb 15, 2016

Birthday celebrations were in full swing at Ambleside care home in Stratford-upon-Avon when resident John Mills celebrated his 100th birthday. 

John turned 100 years ‘young’ on 27th January and was joined by family, friends and residents for a party hosted by the team at the care home on Evesham Road.  

Highlights throughout the day included a personal birthday card from The Queen and a cake which had been specially baked by the care home’s award-winning head chef Lisa Morris. 

Adding to the celebrations, Lost Chord, a charity which uses music, song and dance to stimulate responses from people living with dementia, entertained guests with a rousing performance, which was followed by champagne and canapés. The special day was topped off with a spectacular fireworks display. 

Dawn Leaver, home manager at Ambleside, said: “Residents are at the heart of everything we do here at Ambleside care home, and we always take the time to commemorate birthdays and anniversaries. In particular, we think it is important to involve friends and loved ones in such important events and to keep to any traditions residents may have around special days. John had a really wonderful 100th birthday and everyone had a fun time joining in the celebrations.” 

Born in Warwick on 27th January 1916, John lived in and around Leamington Spa with his beloved late wife Joan until he moved to Ambleside in 2014. In fact, while the couple were courting, John often took Joan to the local picture house in Leamington Spa. 

Joining the RAF aged 17 in 1934, John served in Singapore and Burma before World War II.  He was in RAF Squadron 67 and is a Burma Star veteran. He was posted in Singapore, Burma and Calcutta.

When he was stationed in Calcutta, John purchased Joan’s wedding ring and in 1943 when he returned to the UK they got married in the Parish Church of Leamington Spa.
The couple moved into their first home together in Lillington and they had two children, John and Jane. John used to make model ships and when his son was younger they made an entire model steam railway together. 

In civilian life, John was a personnel officer at a toolmakers in Warwick. The couple enjoyed country walks and went on many walking holidays in Cornwall and hiked in The Alps.