De Lucy House Care Home resident Louie ‘Hocky’ Lazell celebrates 104th birthday

A Diss care home resident is due to celebrate her 104th birthday today.

Born in Clapham, London, on September 15, 1919, to parents Ralph and Hilda, Louie Lazell was one of seven children.

As a young girl, she did bookkeeping for United Dairies, where she gained the nickname Hocky – a shortform of her maiden name Hockett – which has stuck to this day.

During the Second World War, she worked as an officer for the fire brigade and remembers celebrating her 21st birthday in an underground air raid shelter, as well as going out with her sister to watch the fighter planes.

It was during this time that she met her late husband, Bert Lazell, who she married at the end of the conflict. They went on to have a son, Geoff.

In 1966, the couple moved to Stowupland, where they ran their own post office and country store, before, in the 1990s, retiring to Stowmarket.

Here, Mrs Lazell continued to be a popular and active member of the community, volunteering in various roles for around 20 years.

She says her secret to living to such a long life is keeping active, which she still manages to do at De Lucy House care home in Diss.