Cadogan Court avid traveller and activist celebrates her 102nd birthday

Molly Walkers, a resident at Cadogan Court, in Exeter, has recently celebrated her 102^nd birthday. To mark the special event, Molly was presented with birthday cards and flowers from family and friends, and the Home’s staff decorated her room for the occasion.

Molly was born on 24 July 1920 and has lived in Devon all her life. Although she spent her early years in Dawlish, she lived in her house in Exeter for 80 years before moving to Cadogan Court. She was married to Dudley, known to many as Lee, and had two children: a son and a daughter. Molly worked at the board of the Inland Revenue, whereas her husband was a policeman.

Molly’s wedding day at Dawlish on 22nd July 1944.

Molly was only 19 when the Second World War broke out. At that time, young Molly had to endure a 12-mile restriction, which made it difficult to see family and friends. When asked how she coped during the conflict, she said:

You just got on with it. Everyone helped each other and the mentality of people was different back then. Everyone abided by the rules.

An avid traveller

Molly loves to travel and has enjoyed an around the world trip. She has arranged educational sea trips for groups of children, attended foreign conferences, visited friends in various countries and even went on adventurous holidays. She claims proudly:

I’ve visited too many countries to mention. I’ve been on 65 cruises throughout the years, the last one being in 2016!

A tireless activist

Molly has played a crucial role in Exeter throughout her life. She has been an active member in many organisations, including the Well Women’s Clinic, the Exeter Federation of Business and Professional Women and the Exeter Twinning Circle, among others. In 2016, when she was 96, she completed and published Hello, Molly, an account of her life. All proceeds from the sale were donated to Age UK.

When asked about her secret to a long life, she said:

Being a perky sort of person and being fairly optimistic!

Molly also has a piece of advice for younger generations:

Be honest, be happy and look after each other.

Resident Molly and staff members Heather Edworthy and Pauline Stears smile at the camera. The staff decorated her room with balloons for the occasion.

[Summary: Molly Walkers, a resident at Cadogan Court, in Exeter, has recently celebrated her 102^nd birthday. Molly loves to travel and has enjoyed an around the world trip. She has also played a crucial role in Exeter throughout her life, being an active member in many organisations.]