Banbury care home resident shares secret to long and happy life on her 103rd birthday

A 103-year-old Banbury care home resident has revealed her secret to living a long and happy life.

Dorothy Tweedy, from Care UK’s Seccombe Court, on Gardener Way, celebrated her big day on the 27^th April with a special birthday party.

Reflecting on her many happy years, Dorothy revealed that her motto for life is to: “Never stop working, hard work keeps you going.”

To celebrate the occasion, the talented chefs at Seccombe Court made a special birthday cake for Dorothy to share with her friends and fellow residents. Ensuring the scene was set for the birthday party, the team decorated the home’s lounge with birthday banners and balloons – much to Dorothy’s surprise.  

Dorothy was born in 1921, in her grandfather’s house in Mollington, Cheshire, and was the eldest of five children. During World War Two, Dorothy was part of the women's land army helping to boost Britain’s food production by cultivating the land while many of the male agriculture workers went into the armed forces. After the War, she worked in a factory in Banbury.

After the war, Dorothy became the Director of Postiche in Banbury, a business that creates professional hairdressing and wig making materials, which she enjoyed for over 50 years. Aged 40, Dorothy married her husband, Robert Tweedy.

Dorothy had an active social life in her younger years, attending church and spending time with friends, and many hobbies, which she continues today, including cooking, baking, knitting, and sewing.

Wojciech Kuczkowski, General Manager at Seccombe Court: “Dorothy is a much-loved resident here at Seccombe Court and we all had a wonderful time celebrating her special day.

“We work hard to support residents to lead fulfilling lives, and marking special occasions and birthdays plays a huge part in this. We love any excuse to celebrate the amazing people living here at Seccombe Court and Dorothy’s birthday was no exception. Everyone had a wonderful time toasting Dorothy’s birthday and listening to her share memories from her long, happy life.

“We’re all incredibly privileged to have Dorothy as part of the Seccombe Court family – happy 103^rd birthday!”

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Seccombe Court incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities. The home provides full-time residential care, dementia care and respite care.