Nell Tait, who celebrated her 100th birthday yesterday, comes from a family of centenarians. Her mum, Betsy, lived to 100, and her Auntie Meg reached 102.
Born and bred in Winchburgh, West Lothian, Mrs Tait celebrated her 25th birthday yesterday – despite being born 100 years ago on February 29, 1908.
Young 25 at age 100The sprightly mother of two, grandmother of six and great grandmother of five, started the ball rolling early with a surprise party on Thursday, organised by friends at the Winchburgh Pensioners' Club.
She received the traditional telegram from the Queen on her birthday itself, and her family organised a party in Broxburn last night.
And Mrs Tait is now set to round it all off with a celebratory dinner at The Bonsyde Hotel in Linlithgow tonight.
With three centenarians in the family, daughters Betsy, 74, and Sarah, 64, both say they realise they have a lot to live up to in the longevity stakes.
Only child Nell was born Helen Anderson at home in Beatlie Road in Winchburgh, and attended Winchburgh Public School and Broxburn Higher Grade.
Her first jobs were when she was still at school, collecting fares on the family bus service between Winchburgh and Broxburn and milking cows on her grandfather's farm. She also had jobs in Edinburgh, Broxburn and Glenfox, before retiring at 70.
Her earliest memory dates from when she was just five or six years old.
She said: "I can remember when the horses were commandeered for the 1914 war and they were all taken away from Beatlie Road. But the biggest change in Winchburgh has probably been the industry – the brickworks and oilworks are all gone."
Rather than receiving birthday presents this year, Nell has asked wellwishers to make a small donation to Dr Gunn and Partners, in Uphall, who have helped keep her fit and well for 100 years.
Nell still goes on family holidays to a caravan in Dumfries, takes regular trips to see family in Essex and only gave up modern sequence dancing three years ago.
"The secret to a long life is a happy life," she said.
• Margaret Dow, from the Archview Lodge Care Home, Dalkeith, also celebrated her 100th birthday recently.
One of six born on a small arable farm in Banffshire, Mrs Dow remembers being sent out to hoe turnips before school when the men were ill during a flu epidemic.
In 1925 she left school to work as a secretary to Isaac Sharp in Keith, who supplied trained gun dogs to clients all over the world. On one occasion the King of Spain came and bought a fully trained gun dog for 120 guineas.
Margaret married Sandy Dow, at the time an officer in Fife Police, and spent most of her married life in Leslie, Fife.
She moved to Archview in 2006 to be nearer her family – daughter Ann, her two grandchildren and one great grandson.
May McCondichie, Archview Home manager, said: "Margaret has maintained her great sense of humour, and tries hard to keep the staff at Archview on their toes."
© 2008 Johnston Press Digital Publishing
