Grantham care home residents celebrate 70 years of friendship

Two care home residents are celebrating 70 years of friendship.

Anne Clarke and Mary Short first met when they were just 15 years old and now live alongside each other at Harrowby Lodge Nursing Home, on Harrowby Lane.

They recently celebrated Anne’s 85th birthday with a special cake and card and reminisced about their favourite memories including when they first met at Marco’s social club in Grantham.

The pair hit it off immediately and have remained firm friends ever since.

Mary poignantly recalls a favourite memory of going for drinks at The Dirty Duck pub, in Woolsthorpe-by-Belvoir.

The fan belt on her car broke on the drive home and she recalled that Anne made her take her stockings off to fix it.

Mary said: “They were my best silk stockings that I had saved ages for but that’s what friends are for.” Anne added: “They got us home though.”

Anne moved into Harrowby Lodge first and Mary joined her just a few weeks later after they both lived at another care home in Grantham first.

They said they would be lost without each other.

Activities co-ordinator Sarah-Jane Dixon has enjoyed watching their friendship blossom at the care home.

She added: “They often come to the activity sessions and love watching different films together each afternoon. I’m still best friends with my school friend and so its lovely to see Anne and Mary still so close after all these years. I hope we will be the same.”