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