100th Birthday celebrations for Joyce at Belmont House

Staff and residents celebrated the 100^th birthday of Joyce Berber this week with a wonderful afternoon tea party at Belmont House Nursing Home. Celebrations also included Scottish piper in full highland dress, who played in the garden for Joyce to enjoy through the window. Although visits from family members are not possible in the current situation, she received many phone and video calls, cards and messages.

Joyce had a wonderful day opening presents and cards from her family and friends and especially enjoyed her card from Her Majesty the Queen.

“All of the staff team here at Belmont House would like to wish Joyce a very happy 100^th Birthday” said Home Manager Joanne Coldwell, “Joyce has lived here at Belmont House for two years and is very much part of the Belmont family.”

Joyce was born in Hillsborough; she was one of five children and had two brothers and two sisters. On leaving school her first job was at Bassett’s sweet factory in Sheffield. When WWII broke out, she signed up as a land girl and worked with her Grandfather on the farms. She married in 1945 and had her wedding reception at Grandparent’s house in Hillsborough. Joyce went on to have two children, her eldest son Stuart and daughter Yvonne.

Joyce has always worked hard; she was a housewife for a few years when her children were small then worked as a cleaner at Malin Bridge School until she took retirement aged 62 to look after husband. Her retirement lasted just one year before she was back working, this time as a waitress at a restaurant in Bridlington on the East Coast where she lived. Joyce carried on working until she was 78 years old, when she became a carer for her husband’s best friend until 2007.

Joyce loved to travel and enjoyed annual trips to Spain, visiting friends there until she was 93 years old. She is now a popular resident at Belmont House and hopes to celebrate many more birthdays at the home.

For more information about Belmont House Nursing Home please contact Joanne Coldwell on 01142 831 030 or email belmonthouse@countrycourtcare.com.