Clay Cross twins reunited as neighbours at Dale Brook Care Home
“He pops into my room every day. He doesn’t say much, but I like to be able to see him.”
A brother and sister who were born just 20 minutes apart have become the first twins to live at Dale Brook care home in Clay Cross, becoming next-door neighbours at 86-years-old.
David Percival and Margaret Day were born on 6th January 1940 at their family home on Clay Lane, Clay Cross, to parents Ernest and Elsie. In an era before pregnancy scans, Elsie had no idea she was expecting twins.
Margaret said, “David was born first, but then the midwife said, ‘I think there’s another one!’. Twenty minutes later, I came along. Having already had our older brother seven years earlier, I think they were glad I was a girl.”
Some of the siblings' happiest memories centre on racing down Clay Lane to the local newsagent. Both wanted to be first to pick up the latest Beano or Dandy comic, although Margaret said,
“I usually got there first because I was the fastest runner, so I got to read it first!”
Margaret and David also developed a lifelong passion for Chesterfield Football Club, which they continue to follow to this day.
In their adult years, Margaret married Ernie and welcomed two sons, and David married Barbara and welcomed another son. The pair never lived far from one another, buying houses one mile away and always brining their families together.
As the more talkative twin, Margaret moved to Dale Brook in late August and soon suggested an idea to her brother. Margaret added,
“To be honest, I actually suggested he came here. He didn’t see many people at home, so I thought it would be nice if he came to live at Dale Brook.”
Sure enough, two weeks later David moved in, choosing the room next door to his sister. Margaret said, “He pops into my room every day. He doesn’t say much, but I like to be able to see him.”
When asked what he thought of living next door to his twin, David said with a cheeky grin, “Not a reet lot really.”
Rebecca Rudman, the General Manager at Dale Brook, commented, “It's incredibly special to welcome David as a resident and to see these twins living side-by-side. They have shared a lifetime of memories, from growing up in Clay Cross to raising their own families, and it's lovely that they can continue making memories together here at Dale Brook.”