Kate Simpson, a resident at Orford House, our Coulsdon-based residential care home, has had a marvellous day celebrating her 84th birthday with her family, care home friends and the care team; enjoying a fun birthday party, complete with a scrumptious celebratory birthday cake, gifts, cards and balloons.
Kate, who made Orford House her home in December 2025, was born and raised in Mitcham, South London like fellow resident Judy Hyde. “I had a lovely childhood growing up in Mitcham, but I never knew Judy until I moved into the care home,” said Kate. “Mitcham is a fascinating place with a deeply ancient past. Amazingly, extensive Anglo-Saxon pagan burial grounds were discovered in the area which show how the people who lived back between the 5th and 6th Centuries, and believe it or not, Mitcham was, back in the 18th and 19th Centuries the capital of England’s Lavender and Peppermint production.”
At school, Kate was very sporty. “I did, and still do, love to keep fit, so at school I loved the PT sessions and Gymnastic lessons and also enjoyed English and History, but my favourite class was Art,” continued Kate. “However, I was a rather good swimmer and swam for my school in lots of competitions and galas, but a swimming pool is no match for swimming in the sea, which is the best.
“I still like to watch most sports, especially Tennis. I expect I’ll be avidly watching the HSBC Championships at London’s Queen’s Club and, of course, Wimbledon over the coming weeks and I suppose a couple of World Cup Football Games too. Well, we’ve got to cheer on The Three Lions, haven’t we?”
“Kate is an absolutely delightful lady and it’s such an honour that she chose to make Orford House her home. It’s a pleasure to care for her,” said Michelle Kennett, the Registered Manager at the care home. “Kate is always on the go, dancing, singing and joining in with the activities, her energy is limitless.”
“At Orford House, there’s such a wide and varied events and activities calendar, I’m never bored or at a loss for something to do. I take part in everything, but am very fond of all the art, painting crafting sessions,” added Kate. “I also attend Colour Therapy, which is very interesting as it great for relaxation and I found out that its roots date back to Ancient Egypt and Greece, so it’s definitely a classic practice and it really does boost my energy levels.
“I also thoroughly enjoy being part of the care home’s Gardening Club, helping the Gardener with potting and planting and, without a doubt, I never miss a sing-along or performance from the regular entertainers who visit.” Dancing is another of Kate’s passions. “Oooh, I love a good boogie, especially to a bit of ‘Rock n’ Roll’ and I’m not a bad ‘Jiver’, even if I do say so myself,” said Kate. “I have always loved music and dancing,” continued Kate. “In fact, I actually dated John Henry Rostill, the former bass player in the famous 60s band, The Shadows.”
“Kate is a very fun and upbeat lady who is exceptionally kind and caring towards the other residents,” added Mary Bradley, the Activities Coordinator at Orford House. “She’ll always have a smile on her face and a kind word to say to everyone. You can usually hear her singing away and getting her care home friends to join in. It’s also a pleasure to watch Kate paint, she really has an amazing eye and is so artistic.”
Kate is also a bit of an Adventurer having travelled to many countries over the years. “I’ve been extremely fortunate to visit some amazing countries, cities and places, but I adore Italy most of all.
“The culture, the history, the different beautiful cities and monuments, the weather – and of course the wine and food – are second to none,” said Kate. “I worked as an Au Pair in Sorrento in Italy. It’s a stunning city, perched on dramatic cliffs overlooking the Bay of Naples. It’s the Northwestern gateway to The Amalfi Coast and is famous for its oversized lemons – I did love the Limoncello too. Working in such an amazing place really started my love affair with the country.
“I am a bit of a ‘Foodie’ and Italian cuisine is absolutely divine, but I have to say the meals, choices and selections at Orford House a wonderful too. You can’t beat their Fish and Chips or Roast Dinners, they are too tasty for words.”
“For Kate’s 84th Birthday we wanted to throw a big birthday party for the Birthday Girl to enjoy with her family and care home friends,” added Michelle. “She’s a very special lady and a very special part of the care home and we wanted to show just how much she means to us all.”
“We hosted a lovely Birthday Party at the care home with gifts, cards, delicious food and, of course, a wonderful birthday cake which Kate enjoyed with her family, care home friends and the care team. It was a great afternoon which plenty of music and dancing, the Birthday Girl had a fantastic time,” continued Mary.
“I really had an exceptional and happy birthday, everyone at Orford House made me feel special,” said Kate. “My family and I visited the care home, we all decided immediately that it was the perfect place for me. It’s not only a beautiful home with stunning gardens, but also a real home from home. The care team are just so caring and kind, they can’t do enough for all the residents. It really is perfect,” concluded Kate.
Find out more about Orford House care home by calling 020 8660 2875 or emailing [email protected].