Care home resident celebrates 105th birthday with Lincolnshire’s Red Arrows flypast and visits from Women’s Royal Air Force and RAF Cranwell guests

When a much-loved care home resident was born, George V was on the throne, women were still fighting for their right to vote, and David Lloyd George was Prime Minister.

Since then, Margaret John has seen a whopping 21 different Prime Ministers come and go, as well as five different monarchs crowned King or Queen of England.

Margaret, a resident of Lancaster Grange Care Home near Newark, is today (Friday, May 30) celebrating her landmark 105th birthday with a special party and a number of VIP guests, and even a flypast from the world-famous Red Arrows, based in Lincolnshire.

A Welshwoman, Margaret was born on May 30, 1920, in Pontypool, Monmouthshire, where she lived until she was called up to the Women’s Royal Air Force in 1942 — which had been deferred for a year as her father had died when she was 21.

“There were a lot of people who didn’t think that women should join up,” Margaret remembered, “My brother was one of them, but I wanted to do it anyway.”

Margaret served as a shorthand typist in the Second World War until 1946, when she then worked as a secretary to two consultant surgeons in Cardiff.

She met her husband — Evan Charles Henry John, but known as Harry — who was a teacher and later a headteacher, and the couple were married in 1949. They were appointed as head and deputy headteachers of a remand home for boys who were awaiting trial, known as ‘borstal’, for 30 years until they retired in 1981.

“We had many interesting boys over the years, some were nice and some were ‘awkward’!” Margaret said. “But I’d say that 75% of them did go home in the end and turned their lives around.”

Margaret and Harry had their daughter, Carolyn, in 1960 and she also has two grandchildren — Hannah Cutts, 33, and 32-year-old Oliver John — as well as five-year-old great-granddaughter Constance, who enjoys raiding her Gee-Gee’s snack cupboard!

Harry died in 1993, but Margaret continued to live in their home, in Chepstow, with very little help apart from a term in respite at Lancaster Grange during the Covid-19 pandemic — until December 2023.

Hannah, who lives in Newark, said: “Constance was born during Covid while Gee [Margaret] was shielding at Lancaster Grange, so we were able to hold her up to her bedroom window so that they could meet and they’ve spent lots of time together.”

During her years living in Chepstow, Margaret continued to be an active member of her local church in Caerwent and the U3A, where she was a member of the walking group until 1983, and stayed on the history and music groups until the Covid-19 pandemic.

Remarkably, she passed her driving test at the age of 74 after growing tired of having to walk all around the village as Harry had done all of the driving.

Margaret remembered: “The instructor said to me ’what are you doing that for?!’ But I wanted to do it myself.”

She also took her first transatlantic flight to visit Carolyn, who was living in Pittsburgh in the USA, when she was 81 years old.

To celebrate her 105th birthday, Charlotte Widdison, head of activities at Lancaster Grange, pulled out all the stops to arrange a special party for Margaret, with all of the residents and her family attending — as well as a plethora of VIP special guests.

The whole idea had stemmed from the monthly meeting the branch has with residents at the care home, which the branch’s welfare officer Chris Gangel helped to co-ordinate with Charlotte.

She said: “I’m absolutely overwhelmed at the support we’ve had. Everyone we’ve reached out to has come back with open arms and it’s wonderful.

“Margaret is so full of life and I’m so happy for her — it shows how many people like her who have come here today.”

There was a huge variety of cakes, drinks and food donated by local businesses and charity groups for the party, and she was also given a shout-out by Radio Newark, who played Vera Lynn’s wartime classic ‘We’ll Meet Again’ for her.

As a nod to her military background, veterans and representatives from the Women’s Royal Air Force, RAFA Balderton, RAF Cranwell, and most poignantly the Red Arrows, all attended her birthday party today (Friday).

At 2.30pm, the Red Arrows themselves performed a flypast over the home, making Margaret one of very few people to earn her own flypast from the world-famous team.

Red Arrows pilot Doug Smith attended the party. He said: “She’s a remarkable woman and it’s not often that you get to this age, but to come here and celebrate with her is a real honour.”

RAFA Balderton president Nigel Branston said that Margaret was a “lovely lady” and that Chris and Charlotte had done so much for her.

Sqn Ldr Emma Webber, representing RAF Cranwell, said: “It’s incredible to see Margaret has such a spark to her and has such enthusiasm for life and people. It’s so nice to see her celebrating with her family and friends.”

Margaret herself said that she was “delighted” with the party, and it had “all been so wonderful” — and she was especially thrilled with the Red Arrows flypast as she has always admired the team

However, Margaret is still 10 years away from being the oldest living person in the UK, who is currently Ethel Caterham, who is 115 years and 252 days old (as of today, May 30).