When Mabel Looker was born in spring 1915, the First World War was less than a year old, most British homes were still lit by gas and the cinema was a new craze.
This year Mabel celebrated her 106th birthday at Belmore Lodge in Lymington. When asked for her secret of longevity, Mabel replied with a smile: “I would love to know the answer myself!”
We have another 106-year-old resident living at Outstanding-rated Canford Chase in Poole and across our whole group of homes, there are three 105-year-olds and four residents aged 104.
On her birthday at Braemar Lodge in Salisbury, 105-year-old Iris Stowell cited good genes, a little chocolate each day and an occasional gin and tonic as ingredients in her recipe for a long life.
And when the team at St Catherines View in Winchester asked 100-year-old resident Helen Lefroy to reveal her secret to living so long, she replied with a smile: “Eating cake!”.
Helen, who has strong ancestral connections to the famous novelist Jane Austen, received a bumper delivery of 788 cards after we highlighted her birthday within the community.

100-year-old Helen Lefroy with some of her 788 cards.

Iris Stowell on her 105th birthday at Braemar Lodge.
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