Retired war veteran celebrates 100th birthday with local regiment

A resident at a care home in Tettenhall celebrated his 100^th birthday with the local regiment he served with in World War Two. 

A very special birthday celebration took place at Care UK’s Foxland Grange care home, on Wergs Road, when resident Bob King celebrated his 100^th birthday with the regiment from Worcestershire Army. 

 

Serving members of the regiment, Major Peter Lewis, raised a glass to Bob and enjoyed a slice of his birthday cake. 

Commenting on the visit, Bob said: “I felt honoured the regiment spent the time to come and wish me a happy 100^th birthday, and it definitely marked the occasion along with my family celebrations and the ongoing support from all the team at Foxland Grange.”

To celebrate the milestone birthday, the home decorated the lounge with balloons and banners, and the home’s talented head chef baked a special birthday cake for everyone to enjoy. 

Bob was born on 30^th March 1922 in Wolverhampton. During WW2, Bob spent five years serving as a lieutenant in the Worcestershire regiment where he spent three years in the middle east and 17 months as a prisoner of war in Germany. 

After the war, Bob returned to Wolverhampton where he worked for a local law firm. Passionate about justice, Bob worked as a solicitor for 70 years – only officially retiring at the age of 98. Commenting on his time as a solicitor, Bob said: “Wolverhampton is the best place to be a solicitor because everyone works together and has good relationships with one another.”

 

Bob has been married twice and has two children, Sheila and Peter, who regularly visit Bob at Foxland Grange.

Su Edmonds, General Manager at Foxland Grange, said: “Bob is a much-loved resident here at Foxland Grange – his gentlemanly nature and his history serving in WW2 have always made him a hero – so it was great to celebrate this fantastic milestone with his family, friends and special guests from the regiment. 

“We were delighted to receive the call from Worcestershire regiment and welcome serving members of the regiment to meet with Bob. Here at Foxland Grange, we strive to celebrate the great achievements and rich history residents have and recognise the importance of revisiting and honouring those moments of the past that are reflected on with pride. 

“It was wonderful to raise a glass to Bob and reflect back on his remarkable 100 years.”

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Foxland Grange, incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities. The building has been configured into a series of neighbourhoods to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents.

For more information on Foxland Grange, please call Director of Community Relations, Jazz Lalli, on 01902 275 507 or email jazz.lalli@careuk.com.

For more general information, please go to careuk.com/foxland-grange.