100-year-old Mabel plants a flower in memory of her father

CHESTER-LE-STREET centenarian Mabel Fenwick was among the elderly residents celebrating Father’s Day at Pelton Grange Care Home in County Durham.

Mabel, who turned 100 in March, planted a flower in her father’s name in the home’s new memory garden.

The specially created raised beds gave Mabel, who is wheelchair bound, the chance to plant the perennial herself in memory of her father, Robert Pape.

Robert was originally from Sunderland, where he worked as a carpenter and joiner at Laings Shipyard as well as Simmons Furniture Shop.

He married Mabel’s mother, Florence, in 1905, before having Mabel in 1918 and her sister, Florrie, in 1920.

He died of pneumonia in the early 1940s.

Mabel said: “What a lovely idea to create a memory garden to commemorate our fathers on Father’s Day.”

Chris Hogan-Hind, home manager at Pelton Grange Care Home, on Front Street, said: “The raised garden was designed so all our residents could plant and tend to it, including one of our oldest residents, Mabel.

“The residents picked their favourite colour flower, wrote their father’s names on labels, along with Father’s Day wishes, before planting them.

“Everyone had a wonderful day sharing their favourite memories of their fathers.”