Dorset twins celebrate 100th birthdays at Poole home

Devoted sisters Nora ‘Joan’ Barter, a former headmistress of Sherborne Girls’ School, and and Margaret Joyce ‘Peggy’ Barter, wore matching tiaras, dresses and gold sashes proclaiming ‘100 & Fabulous’ at their birthday party in Colten Care’s Poole care home The Aldbury.    

Guests included Robin Ponting, grandson of the twins’ cousin Doris Ponting, who passed away aged 106 in 2004 having lived in three centuries.     

In a speech at the party on July 26, Robin recalled visiting the twins when he was a boy and attending family celebrations.

He said: “They have always looked after each other. There is something so very special about them, a deep, lifelong bond and an understanding that you could read as telepathic.

“If Peggy is not feeling so well, Joan will help out as the stronger one and vice versa. We’ve seen this kind of role reversal on many occasions.”     

ONE of the UK’s longest living pairs of twins - and possibly the oldest identical pair - celebrated their 100th birthdays in style at a Dorset care home. (Image: Supplied)

Joan and Peggy were born in 1923 on the outskirts of Bath where their father Clem ran a hardware and clothing shop and their mother Doss was a housewife.

The twins attended schools and colleges in Bath before leaving to take up their separate careers.

Joan became a teacher, moving to become a headmistress of Sherborne Girls’ School and was described by former pupils as 'firm but fair'.

Peggy took up a post as a radiographer in a Birmingham hospital.

Neither twin married nor had any children.  

With their respective retirements coinciding with each other, Peggy returned south to join Joan in her house in Sherborne.

Newborn identical twins Peggy and Joan Barter with their mum, Doss, in a picture taken in 1923 (Image: Supplied)

As time went on, it became clear that old age was starting to adversely affect the twins’ ability to live at home.

They first moved to Colten Care’s Sherborne care home Abbey View for respite care,  and later at Newstone House, the provider’s home in Sturminster Newton.

Robin said: “They spent several happy years there before their eventual move to dedicated dementia care at The Aldbury four years ago.

“It reflects the progression of their journey with dementia, while receiving the very best of care available and still getting the best out of life.

“At all three homes, they have had separate bedrooms but been relatively close to each other, sometimes on the same floor."

Melissa Siat, who works at The Aldbury, said: “When we asked the twins how they would like to celebrate their birthdays, Peggy said it would be nice to have some of our relatives around and have a piano concert. 

“Joan didn’t say anything but Peggy knew that her twin sister loves listening to piano music as she used to play and teach the piano.”

Joan and Peggy with Robin Ponting, grandson of their cousin Doris. (Image: Supplied)

As a birthday surprise, Melissa and colleagues arranged for piano tuner Jonathan Pope to make sure The Aldbury’s lounge piano was in tiptop shape and invited professional musician Caroline Pugh to come and play at the party.

Caroline performed hits from the 1950s and 60s including a selection of the twins’ favourites.

Melissa added: “Peggy was smiling and singing along to ‘You Are My Sunshine’.

"A full house of staff and residents attended the party, singing and dancing, shaking the shakers and pom poms, swaying ribbons and having a lot of fun.

“Our Chef Izzy Turczyn-Kuzma baked a beautifully decorated cake, the twins received their 100th birthday greeting cards from the King and they got dressed up and had their hair done by one of our healthcare assistants, Maureen Gostling, who came in specially on her day off to help. The twins really did look fabulous. 

“Based on our own research, we believe Joan and Peggy may be the longest-living identical twins in the country. They are certainly the oldest twins in Dorset."