Hepworth House celebrates extraordinary life of resident

A Stanley care home is celebrating the extraordinary life of one of their residents.

- Emma Hird

Rita Durrant, resident at HC-One's Hepworth House Care Home in uniform when she was younger

Hepworth House Care Home, in the Wakefield district, is sharing the story of resident Rita Durrant, aged 95, whose memories span from the skies of wartime Leeds to the parade grounds of Carlton Barracks, and later to the wards of Leeds General Infirmary.

Born and raised in Hunslet, Rita grew up with her mother, Dorothy, a gentle and hard working care assistant who raised her single-handedly.

Their home in Meanwood and Hunslet was filled with warmth, kindness, and an unshakeable bond. Rita fondly recalls her mother as "never shouting, never hitting, and never once treating me unkindly."

Some of Rita's earliest memories include standing outside as a nine-year-old during the Second World War, hearing raised voices between two men and looking up to see warplanes crisscrossing the sky.