Solehawk

A war surviving resident at Kenton Hall has celebrated two 100^th birthdays in September, due to her father incorrectly registering her birthday 100 years ago!

Mother of two, Olga Brown celebrates her ‘real’ birthday on September 21 – but her birth certificate says September 20 due to a mix up by her father when registering her birth.

Olga celebrated with family, including some who travelled from Canada where Olga used to visit her late sister, at Kenton Hall with two cakes, two cards and two sets of balloons meaning guests enjoyed tucking into twice as many birthday treats.

A family-oriented person, Olga has two daughters, four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

At the age of 13, Olga moved to Newcastle from Hull, as her family sought work in the shipyards.

During the War, Olga, who lived in Walker at the time, experienced intense shelling, eventually resulting in her home being destroyed and her family dug out of the rubble. Before one bombing raid, Olga was caught in two minds whether to grab some sausages from home before joining others in the air shelter. Fortunately, Olga decided to seek shelter, a decision that potentially saved her life.

After her husband, Roy Brown, died in 1968, Olga looked after her family and worked for the Northern Counties teachers college library, before joining the AA and then the DVLA. She had previously worked in the record department at the iconic Fenwicks store in Newcastle – a job she loved.

Olga Brown, said: “I’m delighted that at 100 years old, I still get to have a birthday party, never mind two in one day!

“I’d like to thank all the staff and residents at Kenton Hall for organising everything and making it a special day to remember with my lovely family.”

Steve Robson, manager at Kenton Hall, said: “It was great to see all the residents enjoying Olga’s birthday celebrations.

“When we heard Olga’s story about the mix up of her birth date, we decided to allow her to be one of very few people who gets to celebrate two 100 birthdays in one day.”

Kenton Hall boasts four newly refurbished communal lounges, activity, cinema and spa rooms, a conservatory, a landscaped garden and views across the Northumberland Hills.

The home provides nursing, residential, palliative, dementia and respite care. It is rated as good by the industry regulator, the Care Qualify Commission, which scrutinises elements including safety, responsiveness, standards of care, and how well a home is led.

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.