Priory Gardens celebrated the 110th birthday of Resident Annie Hill, who is the 12th oldest woman in Britain, with an afternoon tea party attended by a special guest – the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, Major Stan Hardy.
As a big fan of the royal family, Annie was overjoyed to meet the Major, who is the Queen’s representative in the county, and chatted with him about life at Priory Gardens.
Annie was born on 3rd October 1908, one of nine children, and has lived in Pontefract her whole life. She attended Love Lane School and worked at Dunhills, the local sweet manufacturer. While she has never married or had children, she is very close to her extended family and enjoys spending time with them.
Her nieces and nephews also attended the tea party and commented that it was “possibly the most wonderful birthday she had ever had”. Annie has a sweet tooth so she particularly enjoyed the frosting on her birthday cake.
According to Annie, the secret to a long life “is a tot of whiskey in the morning” but she admits that now she prefers gin and lemonade instead.
HC-One Priory Gardens Home Manager Tamsin Ryan said:
“We were delighted to be able to celebrate such a milestone birthday with Annie, who is a very popular figure within Priory Gardens. HC-One prides itself on providing the kindest care to our Residents and we enjoy being able to show our appreciation for them.
We would also like to thank Major Stan Hardy for attending Annie’s birthday party, his presence really made her day.”