CICELY Amos celebrated her 93rd birthday with friends at Westende Almshouses, where she has been a resident for nearly 20 years.
Friend and fellow Westende resident of three years Maureen, and daughter Nicola, put together a very fine strawberry cream tea for Cicely and a group of around 25 friends in the residents’ lounge.
“I’d like to say a very big thank you to them both for making today special,” Cicely said.
“They’ve done such a lovely job.”
Cicely, originally from Reading, worked for 38 years in Huntley and Palmers accounts department.
She and her husband Neville lived together at Westende from 2007 until he passed away seven years ago.
“We were married for more than 50 years,” she said.
“We used to go to the theatre, enjoyed amateur dramatics, and liked travelling around the UK.
“Our favourite place was Bournemouth.
“We liked Eastbourne too – in fact, we did the length and breadth of the country, visiting lots of places, from Land’s End to John O’Groats.”
Manager Lynda Rowe is on hand at Westende to support the residents, and has helped a warm community to flourish there.
“You have your own room, and there’s a lovely atmosphere,” Cicely said.
“You can get on with your own life, but there’s help if you need it.
“Lynda is wonderful; a true carer in every sense of the word.”
A keen member of The Link, Cicely says she enjoys going to its Pie and Pint and Singalong sessions.
“When you get older, people tend to side-line you as though you don’t have a brain any more,” she said.
“But you’re still you, and Link helps you to feel as though you are still connected to the rest of the world.”
Cicely takes a real interest in Wokingham.
She says she loves all its local traditions and activities, and will be watching the upcoming elections with interest.
“I take Wokingham.Today each week, so I’ll be looking out for the latest news, including this story,” she laughed.
Westende Almshouses is run and managed by Wokingham United Charities.
The Link Visiting Scheme changes lives, connecting older people with a growing community of friends.
For information, visit: wokinghamunitedcharities.org.uk and linkvisiting.org
