Happy 100th Birthday! 30Happy 100th Birthday

One of the residents of Lords Bridge Court, and long term Shepperton resident, celebrated her 100th birthday some months back.

Barbara Joan Blake was born in Portsmouth on November 23rd 1920. Later the family moved to Wallington, then Sanderstead where she went to Croydon High School. She played good quality tennis, becoming club champion and playing at junior Wimbledon. When war broke out she joined the A.T.S. at Northampton then went on to Welwyn in Hertfordshire, where she became a sergeant. After the war she returned home to work at the Mercantile Bank India. She played tennis at Sanderstead and Purley tennis club where she met her husband Philip Ellis. They married in August 1950 and in 1951 they moved to Sweden then on to Belgium where her twins David and Michael were born. The family returned to England in 1967 and bought a house on Gaston Bridge Road, Shepperton. They continued playing tennis and bridge for many years and their children presented them with five much loved grandchildren and six great grandchildren. In 2009 they moved into Lords Bridge Court but sadly Philip had to move to Ashton Lodge Nursing Home due to ill health. The staff there gave them a 60th wedding anniversary lunch which they both enjoyed. Philip died in 2019 and Barbara carried on playing bridge and driving around in her car which she only gave up a couple of years ago. She joined in with the coffee mornings, afternoon teas and bingo where she was the caller for many years and only gave up playing bridge when the pandemic closed the venues. She still takes part in the virtual suppers and the coffee and cake mornings delivered to residents doors on Thursdays or Fridays. She remains a cheerful and happy lady loved and respected by all at Lords Bridge Court.

Belated happy birthday Barbara.

One of the residents of Lords Bridge Court, and long term Shepperton resident, celebrated her 100 Barbara Joan Blake was born in Portsmouth on November 23 moved to Wallington, then Sanderstead where she went to Croydon High School. She played good quality tennis, becoming club champion and playing at junior Wimbledon. When war broke out she joined the A.T.S. at Northampton then went on to Welwyn in Hertfordshire, where she became a sergeant. After the war she returned home to work at the Mercantile Bank India. She played tennis at Sanderstead and Purley tennis club where she met her husband Philip Ellis. They married in August 1950 and in 1951 they moved to Sweden then on to Belgium where her twins David and Michael were born. The family returned to England in 1967 and bought a house on Gaston Bridge Road, Shepperton. They continued playing tennis and bridge for many years and their children presented them with five much loved grandchildren and six great grandchildren. In 2009 they moved into Lords Bridge Court but sadly Philip had to move to Ashton Lodge