Dorothy Creighton, a 107-year-old great-grandmother from Hampshire, has revealed the secret to her long and happy life: a daily breakfast of bacon and eggs and a love of jelly babies. She celebrated her remarkable birthday last month with a surprise party surrounded by friends and family at her care home.
Having lived through the Second World War and raised three children, Dorothy credited her staple breakfast, which she has enjoyed for a century, as a key to her longevity. She said: “The secret to a long and happy life is to have a good man, a good family and to keep everyone around me on their toes. Also, I can’t live without my bacon and eggs every morning, or my jelly babies!”
A Life from Bristol to Hampshire
Dorothy, who is based in Horndean, Hampshire, was born in Bristol and described herself as a tomboy growing up, spending her childhood playing football with the boys. She began her working life as a hairdresser but joined the Women’s Land Army when the Second World War broke out. It was during this time that she met her future husband.
The couple went on to raise two daughters and a son, and their family has since grown to include grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Reaching such an age remains rare: Office for National Statistics estimates put the number of people aged 100 and over in the UK at 16,600 in 2024, double the 8,300 recorded two decades earlier. Dorothy has already gone seven years beyond that milestone.
Celebrations at Pear Tree Court
Dorothy moved into Care UK’s Pear Tree Court in 2023, where staff described her as chatty and said she enjoyed talking to those around her. She also regularly visited the home’s coffee shop and sweet cart, fitting for someone who counted jelly babies among her essentials. For her birthday, the team decorated the home with balloons and banners, and the head chef made her a cake to mark the occasion.
Aimee Sparks, home manager at Pear Tree Court, said: “We were so excited to celebrate such a joyous day with Dorothy. As a much-loved resident, it was wonderful to mark this tremendous milestone with her.
“Here at the home, everything we do centres around our ethos of ensuring residents lead active and fulfilling lives – and Dorothy’s 107th birthday celebration was no exception. It was lovely to see how happy she was to be surrounded by those closest to her on her special day.”
