“A whiskey or sherry every day" – the secret to living a long life, according to Ipswich centenarian

A resident at a care home in Ipswich gave valuable life advice as she toasted a special milestone.  

Gladys Jenkins celebrated her 100^th birthday in style at Care UK’s Prince George House, on Mansbrook Boulevard, and attributed her impressive longevity to her love of sherry and whiskey.

Gladys was born in London on 17^th April 1924, and has memories of seeing the Queen and royal family. Aged 12, Gladys moved to Ipswich, which is where she worked at Churchman’s, making cigarettes, and as a cake decorator at her local bakery. 

She later raised three daughters, Kathy, Theresa and Doreen, as a single mum, and is now a proud grandmother to her eight grandchildren; Kirsty, Matt, Laura, Jason, Luke, Jodie, Carly and Roxanne.

In her younger years, Gladys was a keen knitter and gardener. She enjoyed sewing fabric coat hangers to sell, making baby clothes for her grandchildren and maintaining her vegetable patch. In her spare time, she also used to play the accordion and now loves it when the local accordionist visits Prince George House. 

Gladys said: ““I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my daughters, sharing fish and chips and a glass of sherry together.” Her advice to young people is: "Always be kind!" 

On the day, the team at Prince George House hosted a special party for Gladys and her family, complete with her favourite fish and chips from the local fish shop, accompanied by a birthday cake prepared by the Head Chef.

Luminita Triff, Home Manager at Prince George House, said: “It was an honour to celebrate Gladys’s birthday with her family. She is a beloved resident at Prince George House, and we all had a wonderful time celebrating this tremendous milestone.

“Everything we do centres around supporting residents to live happy and fulfilling lives, which is why we are always eager to mark special occasions. Gladys’s 100^th birthday was no exception, and it was a delight to hear her advice for living a long and happy life. Let’s all raise a glass to Gladys.”

Prince George House is a modern purpose-built care home providing full-time residential, nursing, and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. Designed to enable residents to live enjoyable and fulfilling lives, the care home has a choice of lounges and dining rooms, along with facilities such as an activity room, cinema and hair salon.