Nov 2018
Media Spotlight for Dorothy Dagger turning 107 at Hungerford House
Dorothy Dagger celebrated her 107th birthday on 31st October 2018. Hungerford House in Wiltshire, where Dorothy is a resident, pulled out all the stops to celebrate her milestone birthday in style, which also happened to coincide with Halloween.

BBC Radio Wiltshire and ITN West Country both came to interview her and acknowledge her special day. This included a recording of the cutting of her beautiful cake as well as the reading of a birthday card from Her Majesty the Queen. These recordings were also placed on social media by the programme producers which then spiralled into many members of the public sending heartfelt wishes.
Dorothy was born on 31st October 1911 in Bath and was the youngest of four children. She had two brothers and a sister and family life was challenging after her father was injured during the First World War and never fully recovered subsequently passing away in 1929 at the age of 51.
Dorothy married her husband Sid in 1941 and they moved from Bath to Corsham due to Sid’s war effort work. In the early 1950s they took possession of a new council house in Neston Crescent and she continued living there until she was 102. Sid passed away in 1981 after enjoying 40 happy years together. The couple did not have any children but were always supportive of the other members of the family. Both Dorothy and Sid were keen church-goers and were both confirmed together at Neston in 1960. Sid sang in the choir and Dorothy joined the Mothers’ Union. They were a very sociable couple and Sid regularly organised whist drives which they both enjoyed. Sid’s last job was working for the Post Office and Dorothy still benefits from his pension to this day. Dorothy had been a widow for some time when she became friends with Ernie who had also worked for the Post Office and was a widower. They found companionship and friendship together and had many happy holidays with the over sixties club, of which Dorothy was the treasurer for over 25 years. Together, Dorothy and Ernie delivered Meals on Wheels to the elderly. There is a certificate in recognition of her commitment to the service that is dated 1998 (when she was 87.)
Dorothy’s niece, Marie Burton, says: “Dorothy was always a very caring person and was ever ready to open her home to members of the family who needed looking after. She remains a happy, friendly and caring lady who would help anyone and I feel proud to be able to call her my Auntie Dolly.”