Basingstoke resident reveals secret to a long life on his 100th birthday

 

A 100-year-old Basingstoke care home resident has revealed his secret to living a long and happy life – “don’t take unnecessary risks”. 

Lewis Light, a resident at Care UK’s Dashwood Manor on Bradley Way, shared his humorous advice to mark his newly-minted centenarian status, while celebrating with those nearest and dearest to him.  

In commemoration of Lewis’ milestone birthday, a special bowling day out was organised by the team at Dashwood Manor, honouring his life-long passion for the hobby. 

Lewis was born on the 28^th June 1924. The youngest of seven, he wasn’t the only change that arrived that June – he was born the day his parents moved house, just as they had assembled the bed.

At 16, Lewis became an engineering apprentice with aircraft manufacturing company AV Roe, a job that laid the foundation for during his time working with a team of engineers throughout World War Two. 

He met his future wife Audrey soon after the war ended. The couple married in 1946, shortly after which Lewis was conscripted to the army. Their time together spanned across a wonderful 50 years before Audrey sadly passed away in 1997.

Family is extremely important to Lewis, with himself and Audrey having a son and daughter – David and Susan. Lewis also has four beloved grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. 

Throughout his life, Lewis has always loved the fresh air of the seaside and enjoyed boat trips on the canal. A keen explorer, he used to go caravaning every weekend with his mother as a child and had a motorbike in his 20s. 

Lewis was thrilled to be surrounded by friends and team members as they came together to celebrate his momentous birthday. 

When asked what his secret was to living a long life, he said: “Don’t take any unnecessary risks.” 

Dil Perera, Home Manager at Dashwood Manor, added: “We were so excited to celebrate such a joyous day with Lewis. As a much-loved resident at Dashwood Manor, it was amazing to mark this tremendous milestone with him and hear his very good advice for living a long and happy life.

“Here at Dashwood Manor, we centre everything we do around our ethos of ensuring residents live active and fulfilling lives – and Lewis’ 100^th birthday celebration was no exception. It was lovely to see how happy he was to be surrounded by those closest to him on the day.”

Dashwood Manor – which opened in September 2021 – is designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives while also promoting independence. The new care home incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities with luxury facilities, including a café, hair and beauty salon, cinema, bar and gardens.