On Friday 8th August, Willow Court Care Home in Aldwickbury Crescent Harpenden was filled with joy and celebration as resident Dilys Hallybone marked her 105th birthday surrounded by family, friends, and special guests.
The Deputy Mayor of Harpenden, Councillor Kirsti Wenn, joined the festivities, presenting Dilys with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates. Adding to the occasion, Dilys was delighted to receive a birthday card from His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen.
Dilys’s life story is as remarkable as her milestone birthday. Born on 8 August 1920 in her grandmother’s house in Cardiff, her father, Francisco (“Frank”), a marine engineer and merchant seaman from Gibraltar, was away at sea at the time of her birth. He returned briefly to meet his newborn daughter before rejoining his ship in Marseilles.
She spent her early years in Rhiwbina, Cardiff, alongside her younger brother Philip. After moves to Barry and later Fishguard, where her father worked as chief engineer on the Fishguard–Rosslare ferry, Dilys completed her schooling before heading to London to work for the Bank of England.
When the Second World War broke out, Dilys’s life took an adventurous turn. She was evacuated from London and soon met George Hallybone, marrying him in 1941. Having promised George she would not join the Army or Navy, she instead enlisted in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) as a meteorologist, using her skills in maths and physics.
Stationed at an airbase in Eastbourne, Dilys survived a bombing raid, making a daring escape by abseiling out of a window – despite never having done so before. She was later evacuated again under the cover of darkness, travelling barefoot to the station to avoid making noise, before being transported to Pershore to continue her duties.
After the war, Dilys and George lived in Oxford, where George completed his degree and Dilys studied fine art and printmaking at the Ruskin School of Drawing at the Ashmolean Museum. The couple went on to have five children – Gareth, David, Gwyneth, Huw and Ceri – living in Cheshire, Teesside, and finally settling in Harpenden in the early 1960s. George worked at the ICI plastics division in Welwyn Garden City. They enjoyed his retirement. He died in 1996.
A talented painter and printmaker, Dilys has exhibited her work widely, often inspired by flowers from her own garden. She was a local guide leader, a dedicated member of All Saints Church, and is known for her beautiful flower arrangements.
Dilys has family in Gibraltar and the USA, and remains much-loved by her large extended family and friends. Speaking at the celebration, Coni Anang the Willow Court manager said:
“Dilys is a truly extraordinary woman whose life has been filled with adventure, creativity, and love. It was an honour to celebrate her 105th birthday here at Willow Court and to see her surrounded by so many people who care about her.”
Son, Huw and his wife Margaret said: “It was lovely to see her enjoying the attention from family, friends, the wonderful staff at Willow Court and, of course, the Deputy Mayor. Although very frail she retains her intellect, memory and sense of humour all of which were evident on Friday”