Staff at Byrnhill Grove Care Home pulled out all the stops, hosting a party fit for a queen, complete with live music, a cake and plenty of dancing.
During the celebration, Yvonne and her fellow residents danced to her favourite songs ‘My Old Man Said Follow the Van’ and ‘Knees Up Mother Brown’, performed by Alan from Independent Arts.
Tucking into her multiple bags of Jelly Babies (her favourite) and a celebratory sherry, Yvonne was reminded of her age, she joked: “I don’t feel 104, what did you tell me that for? Are you going to give me 104 bumps?” She added, “I’ve had an incredibly fortunate life, despite hard times.”
Yvonne’s birthday celebrations didn’t end with the party, she was also gifted a limousine ride to Freshwater and back, courtesy of local company Henry Ingram & Sons.
Staff at the care home say Yvonne is absolutely “fantastic” and despite living with dementia, she never lets it stop her.
Marieanne Crossley, Care Worker at Southern Housing, said: “She’s a firecracker! She loves relaxing in the bath and can always be found with a cup of tea.”
Yvonne was born in London and grew up in foster care, before being taken in by two loving parents who adopted her when she was 11. She left school at 14 and got a job in the canteen of a company who made medical uniforms. She later went on to work in a call centre.
Yvonne met her husband Ray during a dance. The pair went on to have a son, Phillip, but he sadly passed away as a young child.
After many a holiday on the Island, Ray accepted a job in Cowes, working for the Plessey Radar, where Yvonne also got a job in the office. The pair moved over and lived in their bungalow in Wroxall for many years before Ray passed away. Yvonne remained there until she moved to Byrnhill Grove around eight years ago.
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