Ipswich care home resident Gladys enjoys surprise birthday performance from Band of the Household Cavalry

A Suffolk care home resident saw her long-held dream come true with a royal performance on her 100th birthday.

Gladys, from Stowmarket, had always wished to visit London to see the guards and horses in regal attire as her brother had been a guardsman at Buckingham Palace.

Although she never made the trip, staff at Avocet Court care home in Ipswich arranged for the Band of the Household Cavalry to film a special performance of ‘Happy Birthday’ dedicated to Gladys, celebrating her centennial year.

Hayley Halsall, Avocet Court’s hospitality services manager, said: “We wanted to make the day special for Gladys and love to make our residents wishes come true.

“When we discovered a member of the team had a brother in the Household Guards we decided to try and pull a few strings and the result was wonderful.

“Gladys was really touched to hear happy birthday played for her and to get some messages from the guardsmen and women.”

Gladys came to Avocet Court in February 2023 after spending her working life as greengrocer and, alongside her husband, she spent may years on a smallholding where she embraced a self-sufficient lifestyle.

They raised animals, grew their own vegetables and and even crafted their own wine – Gladys’ advice for a long life includes enjoying a glass of wine each day.

Family life has always been at the core of her life as she is the proud mother of two children, a son and a daughter, as well as a grandmother and great grandmother.