Tea party marks Kathleen’s 103rd birthday

103-YEAR-OLD Kathleen Cattermole celebrated her birthday with a tea party, cards, balloons and flowers at the care home where she lives in Derbyshire.

Staff and fellow residents at Longmoor Lodge Care Home, on Longmoor Lane, Sandiacre, sang happy birthday to Kathleen on her big day.

She blew out the candles on her homemade birthday cake before sharing slices at her tea party.

After the birthday bash, she said: “I feel good about reaching 103 years young.”

Born in April 1917 in Long Eaton, Kathleen lived on Cranmer Street, before meeting her future husband at her aunt’s wedding, where she was a bridesmaid.

From the age of 14, she worked as a clerk, rising to chief wage clerk by the time she married James Frederick William Cattermole in April 1947, at Ilkeston Registry Office.

During the Second World War, she received training on how to put out fires with stirrup pumps, spending her evenings fire watching.

She said: “We had training but never had to put any fires out. We also had two soldiers billeted with us during the War. Everyone had to do their bit.”

Kathleen has always been a keen dancer and used to perform ballroom and sequence dancing at several Nottingham clubs.

She was also a pianist and performed alongside her brother, Harold Mason, who played the violin. She said: “He used to tap me on the head with his bow if I ever went wrong.”

She has two children, daughter Zena and son Cliff, as well as five grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Julie Mulvany, home manager at Longmoor Lodge Care Home, said: “Kathleen first came to live with us at Longmoor Lodge in 2013.

“She celebrated her centenary and every year since with us and we’ve always had a party to mark the occasion – and this year was no different, despite the closure of the home to non-essential visitors due to the pandemic.

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t be joined by her family this year, who sent lots of lovely cards and flowers, but the staff and residents did everything they could make it a special day for Kathleen and she said she it had been a lovely celebration.”