Birthday to remember for Formby’s oldest resident who turned 108 years old on 1st April

She may have celebrated her last birthday in lockdown, but last Friday was a day to remember for Formby’s oldest resident Marjorie Hodnett who celebrated turning 108 on 1 April 2022.

A resident at Formby Manor care centre on Liverpool Road, Marjorie, known fondly by all as Auntie Marj, is just one of a select group of just 50 centenarians in the UK.

Following on from last year’s celebrations, the team at Formby Manor pulled out all the stops to ensure it was a day to remember with a garden party complete with afternoon tea and entertainment from vintage singer the Golden Age Songbird.

Auntie Marj’s family joined her fellow residents and friends at Formby Manor to spend the afternoon with her in person and enjoyed celebrating with fizz and cake.

Home manager at Formby Manor, Janet Lewis, said: “Auntie Marj is a real character and very much part of the home’s wonderful family of staff and residents. Still alert and active, she continues to pursue her lifelong passions of poetry writing and painting and often shares her incredible writing with us here at Formby Manor.

“We were delighted to celebrate this special milestone with her and so pleased to be able to welcome her family in to mark the occasion with us. It was a fantastic afternoon.”

Auntie Marj has enjoyed a long and happy life. She was born in Harleston, London, before moving to Wembley. She met her first husband Stanley in 1939 at the Fellowship of Reconciliation and they married in 1941, living initially in Wembley before moving to Harrow after the war. Sadly, Stanley passed away in 1955 after 14 years of marriage, and in the following year Auntie Marj married Hugh (Stanley’s brother) who passed away in 1958 leaving Auntie Marj widowed for the second time at the age of 45.

Just before Hugh passed away, the couple had moved to Sidbury in Devon in 1956 where Aunty Marj was a teacher in a primary school for 23 years. Finally, Aunt Marj moved to Formby Manor to be nearer to her family. She has remained very active continuing to read, write poetry and paint and continues to take an interest in news and politics.

Commenting on life, Auntie Marj said: “Life is for living and I am very happy here at Formby Manor. In life, I believe that you should do all the good that you can, by all the means that you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can. They are five good rules to live by – but I don’t think I’ve stuck to them entirely!”

Formby Manor is an expertly designed, state-of-the-art care facility, with an exceptional clinical offering that includes residential, nursing and dementia care services. The care home features elegant private bedrooms with en suite wet rooms, stylish communal lounges and dining rooms, a hairdresser, nail bar and secure beautifully landscaped gardens.