Brighton woman turns 100 with card from the king

Dina Tester, resident at Dean Wood Bupa Care Home, celebrated her 100th birthday on November 7. As well as a party with family and friends, Dina was also presented with a signed card from King Charles III and Queen Consort, wishing her heartfelt good wishes on such a special occasion.

Dina said: “I had a wonderful day celebrating my 100th Birthday. It was lovely to be surrounded by family and friends, the cake was absolutely gorgeous and the card from the King was so exciting - though my favourite part had to be the dancing and music. My top tip for a long and happy life is to just keep dancing, it’s good for the soul!”

Julie Mullen, senior activity coordinator, said: “We had a lovely day celebrating Dina’s milestone birthday. We love watching her dance, she becomes totally carefree! Music makes her feel alive and she has many friends at Dean Wood, both staff and residents - she is a truly special soul. Celebrating milestone occasions such as 100th Birthdays is so important to us at Dean Wood, it really brings a positive atmosphere to the home and really boosts our residents’ spirits.”

Dina, whose mother was Belgian, was born in Brighton and has lived there her whole life. Dina worked as a shop assistant in a shoe shop, but her favourite job of all time was being a mum of two children with her late husband Percy.

The family enjoyed lots of trips around Europe with their favourite cities including Brussels, Paris and Italy. Throughout her life, Dina has always loved ballroom, modern and line dancing. She continues to enjoy dancing at Dean Wood, attending the weekly live performances.

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