Chesterfield RAF veteran celebrates 100th birthday with belly-dancing and ride in 1954 Jeep

A Chesterfield care home has pulled out all the stops to celebrate an RAF veteran’s 100th birthday, complete with a belly-dancing performance, a ride in a 1954 Jeep and visits from local veterans and members of the community.

Colin Bargh marked his milestone birthday on October 11 with a day of surprises at Riverdale Care Home in Chesterfield, where he has lived for over a year.

Born and raised in Spital, Colin ran a bicycle shop next door to the first Burton’s menswear store in Chesterfield before joining the Royal Air Force as a military police officer.

In 1945, he was stationed in Bückeburg, Germany, where he served in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, helping to maintain order. He later retrained as a secondary school teacher.

The celebrations began with a surprise performance from Julia Bisby, a belly dancer from ‘A Taste of Cairo’ and one of Colin’s favourite live entertainers.

One of the highlights saw Colin’s son, Ian, being taught some dance moves, much to Colin’s delight and the amusement of everyone in the room.

Colin also received a special visit from RAF Air Cadets Neil Hardy, Josh Gilbert and Daniel Filip, who presented him with a personalised birthday card from 331 (Chesterfield) Squadron and shared stories of flying and learning tricks.

Another memorable surprise came courtesy of Kate and Richard Pearson and Loretta and Ian Brudenell, friends of the care home and enthusiasts of the 1950s. They arrived in a 1954

Willys Jeep from Ian’s personal collection, bringing back memories of the type of vehicle Colin drove during his service in Germany.

Dressed in their finest 1950s outfits, the visitors also brought a touch of vintage glamour to the home. The celebrations continued with a drive through Chesterfield town centre, as Ian took Colin, his daughter and his sister-in-law out in the Jeep.

The occasion also brought together members of the local community, with visitors including Derbyshire County Councillors Richard Smith and Mark Cliff, Graham Green representing the

Sheffield Parachute Regiment Association, and Glyn Cooke, chairman of the Derbyshire Veterans Group.

The Chesterfield community also showed its appreciation for Colin by sending hundreds of birthday cards for him to open. Among the messages were cards from local schoolchildren

at Spire Nursey and Infant school, who hand-drew pictures of Colin and sent him well wishes.

Kayleigh Worsley, Senior Carer at Riverdale Care Home, said: “Celebrating Colin’s 100th birthday was a wonderful opportunity to recognise not only this incredible milestone, but also the life he has lived and the memories he has made. It was lovely to see his family, friends and the local community come together to make the day so special for him.”

Colin’s daughter, Pat Walker, said she was "very happy" with the care her dad receives at the home and thanked the staff for going the extra mile to make his birthday special.

"They're very caring and give him lots of fun by organising things like this," she said.