RESIDENTS and staff at a care home in Stourport were left overwhelmed after receiving a personal letter from Dame Vera Lynn.
Ravenhurst Residential Care Home sent the iconic ‘forces sweetheart’ a handmade card made by care assistant Nicki Bell and a poem written by resident Rita Hardman to mark her 100th birthday.
But they were pleasantly surprised when Dame Vera unexpectedly wrote back to them to thank them for their “kind words” in the card and poem.
The singer, best known for We’ll Meet Again and White Cliffs Of Dover, said she was “very touched” to receive the card and poem and told the duo the duo were “both clearly very talented”.
She also enclosed signed photographs and postcards along with the letter.
Rita, who is 71-years-old, said: “I was thrilled when we heard from such a busy lady like Dame Vera - I think she’s a wonderful lady and I was delighted to write a poem for her birthday.”
Nicki added: “It was a pleasure to make the card and it was lovely to receive a reply back from her thanking us for our kind words.”
The poem written by Rita:
The Forces Sweetheart
Vera you sang in the war
Keeping the soldiers going
With your songs so well know
Your concern for them showing
You were the forces sweetheart
And loved by everyone
Encouraging all the men
So the battles could be won
There’ll be blue birds over
The White Cliffs of Dover
Became a special anthem
For every British soldier
Then many years later
You became a top 10 hit
Surprisingly at over 90
You had a second success with it
We live in a care home
And all know of you
The words of your lovely songs
Are remembered by quite a few
And now you’re one hundred
And from all of us her
We send congratulations
Because we hold you very dear
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