A resident at a Gateshead care home has celebrated her 107th birthday.

Jean Slater, who marked the milestone birthday with family and friends at Craigielea care home in Durham Road, received a card from the Queen to commemorate the occasion.

Jean, whose maiden name was Wallace, was born in Hayden Street in Gateshead and has lived in the area all her life.

She married her husband Billy, who died 30 years ago, in 1940, and a year later they had a son, Graham.

Jean’s is a close-knit family, and she enjoys regular visits with her son and his wife, Janet, and her grandson Johnathonand his wife, Urmita.

Jean worked at the Thompson Red Stamp store in Sunderland Road, Gateshead, which took its name from the fact it gave customers red stamps to save when they shopped there.

Her recipe for a long and happy life is to ‘never take medicine from a doctor and to have a Baileys or whisky every night’.

Jean said: “The staff here are lovely and I am very well looked after. They all helped make my birthday a really special day.”

Malcolm Hanson, manager at Craigielea Care, which is part of the Solehawk Group, said: “Jean is a much-loved resident of Craigielea and it was an honour for staff and residents to celebrate such a momentous birthday with her.”

The home, which caters for up to 60 residents, is rated as good by the industry regulator the Care Quality Commission, which inspects aspects including safety, effectiveness, standards of care, responsiveness, and management.

It is set in well-tended big gardens, which are set out like a park.

ENDS

NEWS RELEASE: ISSUED ON BEHALF OF SOLEHAWK LTD

CONTACT: Caroline Walker on 01325 363436

Notes to editors:

Solehawk is a group of four care homes located in the North East of England. It has been providing residential, palliative, respite and dementia care and nursing services to residents since 1989.