The Mayor of Medway, Cllr Habib Tejan, has visited twins, Dorothy and Kathleen, from Rochester, who have recently celebrated their 100th birthday.

Cllr Tejan visited the pair, who, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, are now living together again at their childhood home, to congratulate them. He presented them with some flowers and a civic mug each.

Kathleen Whitehead and Dorothy Sivyer both grew up in Rochester and attended Rochester Grammar School. Kathleen still lives in Rochester, in their grandmother’s house where she’s lived since she was 12 and Dorothy lives in Tunbridge Wells.

Dorothy worked in the NHS as a radiographer and during the Second World War she helped wounded troops recover from the Normandy D-Day landings in Winchester. Kathleen, who was an artist in her spare time, took up teaching and worked in local schools for a number of years. She also served in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force as a radar plotter.

Dorothy married Leslie Sivyer and has three children, six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

They celebrated their birthday with a socially distanced garden party with close family and say the key to a long and happy life is being happy, exercising and eating a balanced diet.

The Mayor of Medway, Cllr Habib Tejan, said: “It was truly a privilege to meet Dorothy and Kathleen. They have a fascinating family who made such an immense contribution to the community. It is wonderful to meet people who have given back so much to the community and they shared some wonderful stories with me.”