Three brothers have rolled back the years by moving into Hartwell Lodge together – the first time they have lived under the same roof since they were young.
Norman, 88, Maurice, 93, and Alan, 86, the Jones Brothers, have recently moved into Hartwell Lodge Care Home. They do have another brother named Harold, 90, who lives elsewhere. Maurice first moved into the care home last May, Alan joined his older brother in December, and Norman in early January.
The brothers were overjoyed at their reunion. ‘It feels very nice to be reunited, it’s not so boring any more,’ Norman said. The Jones brothers have lived in Portsmouth for as long as they can remember. They said: ‘The first memory we have of Portsmouth is being bombed in 1940. There were five of us, and we also had a sister. So we were in the garden shelter when a bomb was dropped in a nearby alleyway, but we were unharmed. Aside from that, we had a good childhood and grew up watching football.’ Norman was a Manchester United fan, but Alan was a better footballer and a Pompey supporter, while Maurice preferred cricket.
They joined the armed forces in their 20s, a few years after the war, and each serving in a different role ranging from flying in the RAF to being soldiers. Between them they have visited nearly every corner of the world including places such as Egypt, Germany, the Falklands and the famous frozen lands of Antarctica.
Our Manager Jennifer said: ‘I am honoured that the Jones brothers and their family have chosen our service. Maurice chose us first and then his brothers followed after visiting often. It is a pleasure to support these gentleman whom have given so much to their families and we were such huge members of their communities. They have such a legacy and we are proud to be part of their journey at Hartwell Lodge. It is so heart warming.’
Norman was at Portsmouth’s infamous South Parade Pier fire, and took the photographs that were featured in The News. ‘We were at ballroom dancing rehearsals and took a break when we noticed a fire on the promenade and I decided to photograph what was going on,’ he said.