Staff at Coppice Lodge care home in Nottingham arranged a very special visit for resident Gordon Gally to mark his milestone 90th birthday.
Gordon, who has lived at Coppice Lodge for one year, worked for Durham Police K-9 unit as a Dog Trainer and Handler for 30 years and considers his time spent with his police dogs as some of his fondest memories.
The care team worked alongside the Nottinghamshire Police K-9 unit to surprise Gordon with two Labrador sniffer dogs and two Alsatian puppies in training. The group spent the morning discussing fond memories of his time in the force and having lots of cuddles with the pups.
Born in 1930, Gordon left school at the age of 15 to undertake an apprenticeship to be a draftsman at Thomas Firth and John Brown Limited. During this time, he also played football for Sheffield Wednesday’s first team, but was unpaid because of his age.
Gordon was later drafted into the National Service in 1948 where he served as Lance Corporal. Following the war, Gordon returned to his football career, playing left wing for Darlington FC where he earned £8 a week.
