Banbury care home helps local woman celebrate 100th birthday in style

Mary Collier was joined by staff, relatives, friends and other residents as she received a telegram from the Queen in recognition of her landmark birthday held on March 9.

The celebrations began with birthday greetings pouring from staff, residents, friends, family via zoom calls, skype calls and the visits in the designated visiting pod.

The team left no stone unturned to make it special by arranging her favourite flowers, favourite meal and her favourite cake. Mary enjoyed a special coffee and walnut birthday cake made by the home’s head chef John Campbell.

Mary was visited by the parish councillor of Drayton village to celebrate her special day and was presented with a hamper full of goodies by her local village council, which is Wroxton.

Mary was very overwhelmed by the efforts put in by the team, family and friends and could not thank everyone enough. Mary will be writing to each and every person a thank you note and has already commenced work on it.

Mary loves making cards using decoupage and has set herself a mission to make a card for each and every person she has received a card from.

Beatrice Mary, was born in Wynyard Tasmania, 1921. She worked in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF,) working the operations room, plotting enemy aircraft for four years during World War 2.

She met and married Derrick Robert Stoton Collier, who she was married to for 68 years. They had a very happy marriage, which produced two sons. Derrick passed away peacefully four years ago, at Glebefields. Mary continues to miss him terribly. Mary spent many years ballet dancing before coming to Glebefields care home, where she is enjoying a new chapter of her life.

Mary said: “She could not have made it without the support and love of her family and determination to keep going."

Among those relatives attending was Mary’s eldest son, Neil Collier and his wife, who visited her in the afternoon in the care home's visiting pod where Mary cut her favourite 100th birthday cake.

Judy Collier, Mary's daughter-in-law, said: "Mary is and has been a fantastic mother, mother in law, grandma and friend to so many over the past hundred years, and it’s wonderful to be with her on this very special day to say just how proud her makes us feel.”

Nisha Shaji, general manager of Barchester Glebefields care home, added: “We’re delighted to be celebrating a truly remarkable woman as she reaches this amazing milestone. Mary is such a popular resident who always has an interesting tale to tell, and we look forward to hearing many more as she breaks into her next century.”