Walking into Elsie’s birthday party, you are instantly hit with the love, laughter and happiness from her and her family.
Tuesday, January 21, marked a rare celebration – Elsie’s 104th birthday.
Born in 1921 in Two Ball Lonnen, Newcastle, Elsie grew up in the roaring twenties, with flapper dancing, jazz music and Hollywood films.
At age 16, Elsie was offered a place at university, however her parents advised her it “wasn’t the place for young women at the time”.
Wanting to leave home, Elsie started her first job in a shop.
With the Second World War looming, she applied to join the Women’s Land Army, who replaced male farm workers while they were away fighting. This led her to become a member of the woman’s RAF, working as a plotter and secretary.
She then moved to the Isle of Man to work as a personal assistant to a commanding officer.
Elsie was then posted to the north, where she met her husband, an engineer who met pilots who were bailed out at sea.
Already having lived a number of lives by the mere age of 21, Elsie and (husband) went on to have five children, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
In the late 60s, the family moved to Kings Langley where Elsie worked in haematology at a local hospital.
When she retired, Elsie spent her time looking after her ever-expanding family. The newest addition, her one-year-old great-grandson, joined her on her special day.
While all her family shared fond memories from over the years, it was her grandson Jonny who shared her secret: “She is always happy and lives simply. We all need to be a bit more Elsie.”
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