D-Day Darlings join 100th birthday celebration of Redditch resident - The Redditch Standard

D-Day Darlings join 100th birthday celebration of Redditch resident

Redditch Editorial 16th Oct, 2018   0

THE D-Day Darlings joined the celebrations when local resident Vera Parker marked her 100th birthday at Kings Court Hotel, Kings Coughton recently.

It was 100 years to the day that Vera was born, in her Granny’s house in Beoley Road.

Vera was the second eldest of eight children, of whom four girls, including Vera, are still alive, three of them still living in Redditch and one in Henley in Arden.

Her mother was Nellie K Lewis and her father was Charles Chellingsworth who was killed fighting in the First World War just 15 days before she was born.




The young Vera went to St George’s and St Stephen’s schools and started work at the age of 14 at Goodall’s box making factory.

She then worked at Millwards needle factory where she meet her future husband Henry, who was always known as Harry.


The couple married in July 1938 and moved to Astwood Bank where they lived for nearly 70 years.

Her last job was a Yeoman’s in Astwood Bank where she worked for 32 years.

After Harry passed away Vera moved to Terry Spring Court where she has spent the last nine years.

During this time she joined in the various activities they have there and, aged 92 she went on her first flight to the island of Jersey.

The following year she flew to Belgium to visit her Dad’s war grave for the first time at the Grootebeek British Cemetery near Poperinge.

Sadly he died a month before Vera was born in World War One and Vera was brought up by her stepdad who was wonderful to her.

Vera celebrated her 100th birthday with lunch for her family and some friends at Kings Court Hotel Alcester followed by entertainment by the D Day Darlings and the following day another celebration at Terry Spring Court with a buffet for her friends there.

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