RESIDENTS of a care home had their spirits lifted with a performance by a Vera Lynn tribute act.

The performer Deborah Taylor Smith, known as the Geordie Sweetheart ‘Wor Vera’, sang a selection of wartime classics outside the Primrose House Care Home, in Hetton-le-Hole.

Home manager Kelly Gallimore said: “We use Wor Vera quite a lot for our entertainment and she offered her service free on this occasion.

“The event was arranged by our activities co-ordinator Emma Bartram.

“We kept it a secret from the residents and the families, as we didn’t want loads of people turning up.

"But when she started singing you could hear her from a mile away and people came to listen – standing apart to maintain their social distance.

“Wor Vera sang a mix of wartime songs, including show We’ll Meet Again and Don’t sit Under the Apple tree."

Kelly added: “She entertained the residents for an hour. They really loved it. Some were crying. They were completley overwhelmed by it.”

"We locked down two weeks before the government suggested. It obviously helped, because we don’t have any cases of coronavirus – the residents or the staff.

"It is a massive achievement for us."