Irish air is the secret to living a long life, according to Stratford-upon-Avon centenarian

 

A resident at a care home in Stratford-upon-Avon gave valuable life advice as she toasted a special milestone.  

Margaret Baker, known as Peggie, celebrated her 100^th birthday in style at Care UK’s Ambleside, on Evesham Road, and attributed her impressive longevity to “the air in Ireland”.

Peggie was born in Dublin on 24^th September 1924 and was raised by her grandmother in Delgany, Ireland. Peggie qualified as a hospital almoner in Dublin, but she later moved to England after marrying Donald and became a stay-at-home mother to their three children, Tim, Jeremy and Claire.

Once their children began school, Peggie retrained as a nursery teacher and worked at a local playgroup. Passionate about working with children, she went on to take over the playgroup with a friend, began volunteering for the Early Years Alliance and eventually became a playgroup inspector, which saw her attend a royal garden party and Princess Diana’s funeral.

After Donald retired, the happy couple moved to Stratford-upon-Avon, where they lived for over 30 years. Peggie now has five grandchildren and six great grandchildren who she loves spending time with. She also enjoys reading, crosswords, gardening, and creating general knowledge quizzes for her local church.

On the day, the team at Ambleside hosted a special party for Peggie and 56 of her family and friends, complete with three birthday cakes made by her family and decorated by her great grandchildren.

Sharing her advice for the younger generation, Peggie said: “take each day as it comes.”

Charlotte Levin, Home Manager at Ambleside, said: “It was an honour to celebrate Peggie’s birthday with her friends and family. She is a beloved resident at Ambleside, 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. Peggie’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 Peggie.” 

Ambleside is a state-of-the-art care home which provides full-time residential and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. Designed to enable its residents to live enjoyable and fulfilling lives, the care home has its very own cinema, café and hair salon, and there is plenty of space, both indoors and out, for relaxation and recreation.