Third oldest woman in Wales born during Suffragette movement talks about her life in a care home

Hilda Roberts, who has just turned 107, was born in the run up to the first World War - at a time when the Suffragettes were campaigning for women to have the right to vote, King Edward VII was on the throne and steam trains dominated the railways.

Hilda, who has two children, three grandchildren and three great grandchildren, was born in Pontypridd on 17 October in 1908, the same year as the film director David Lean, actor John Mills and James Bond creator Ian Fleming.

She has lived at The Hollies care home in Pontypridd for five years and is the third oldest person in Wales, just a couple of years younger than a woman from Pontypool who is 109 and a woman in North Wales who is 110. Out of the whole of the UK, she is 183rd oldest.

Her earliest memory is being at Pontypridd train station during the first World War, one of thousands of people there to welcome the troops back from France.

She has received three cards from the Queen in recent years and said: “The Queen looks very nice in her suit in the photograph and I'm very proud of getting the card from her, although it would have been nice if there had been a couple of bob in there!”

Hilda likes to spend her days with friends she has made at The Hollies which is run by Hallmark Care Homes, saying: “There is one lady in particular who I spend a lot of time chatting to and in group activities we always sit together. I walk from one end of the home to the other to visit her at least twice a week.”

Hilda attributes her longevity to attending the same church for over 80 years, Coed-pen-maen Baptist church which she still attended up until last year.

She attends an exercise class, three times a week shouting at them all "come on get your knees up."

“I also enjoy the church service, reflexology and massage, entertainment, cheese and wine afternoons and coffee mornings,” she says.

Her favourite thing about living at The Hollies is that it is always clean and comfortable.

“The team here are very good and helpful and I can go about like I would have in my own home,” she says.

Prior to living in the care home, Hilda lived in Coed-pen-maen Road where she used to own a sweet shop. Hilda celebrated her birthday with a visit from Mayor Barry Stevens, plus an afternoon of entertainment from a professional singer at the home and an afternoon tea party with family, friends, residents and team members.

Hilda met her husband Richard in a restaurant in Pontypridd by the train station, marrying him at the Wesleyan Chapel (now The Muni Arts Centre) in Pontypridd on Easter Monday, March 29, 1928. They were together for 40 years.

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