‘Never go to bed angry’ – Poole care home resident shares precious secret to long life

A 102-year-old woman has revealed her top secret to being a centenarian – ‘never going to bed on an argument’.

Dorothy Cattle, known affectionately as ‘Dotty’, who lives at Care UK’s The Potteries on York Road, Broadstone, shared her priceless advice for living a long and happy life on her 102^nd birthday, which she also confessed was her secret to enjoying a long marriage of almost 75 years.

 To commemorate Dotty’s milestone birthday on Monday 22^nd April, team members decorated The Potteries’ lounge with balloons and banners ready for a birthday party to remember, while the home’s head chef baked a special birthday cake for everyone to enjoy.

 Born in Pamphill in 1922, Dotty worked in a bakery for many years before enjoying a colourful career in the catering industry. 

 Dotty met her childhood sweetheart Clarence Cattle when she was just 12 years old, before the pair were married in 1942 and spent more than seven decades together. The couple had two children, with Dotty now cherishing three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. 

Throughout her life, Dotty has always had a love for the beach – spending long summers in her caravan down in Cornwall in her younger years. She has always enjoyed knitting and baking, and at The Potteries, Dotty loves taking part in group exercise classes including seated stretching.

The proud centenarian was thrilled to be surrounded by friends and team members as they came together to celebrate this momentous birthday. 

 Zita Turner, Home Manager at The Potteries, said: “It was a real honour to celebrate Dotty’s birthday with her. She is a beloved resident at The Potteries, and we all had a lovely time celebrating this tremendous milestone.

“Everything we do centres around supporting residents to live fulfilling lives, which is why we are always eager to mark special occasions. Dotty's 102^nd birthday was no exception, and it was a delight to hear her sound advice for living a long and happy life – it’s definitely something we could all do with remembering.”

The Potteries has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives in a luxury environment. The home provides full-time residential care, nursing care, dementia care and respite care and also boasts plenty of space – both indoors and out, for relaxation and recreation.