100 NOT OUT: LILLIAN IS ALMOST A CENTURY OLD AND SHE IS STILL LIVING LIFE TO THE FULL

What is the secret of long life? Today I spoke to a lady who certainly has the answer to this question and plenty more, the wonderful Lillian Berry who will be 100 years young on Sunday 9th February and Amadeus Care Home in Eccles where she currently resides, is hoping to help celebrate her long life and make the occasion extra special by asking the Salford community to send Lillian a birthday card.

Lillian is a wonderful person and an inspiration to us all who still has a twinkle in her eye as she told me her life story and I was enthralled to hear it.

She was born, Lillian Paisey in Lawrence Street, Eccles in a two up, two down terraced house along with seven other siblings, so I should imagine life was hard from day one.

Her parents moved from London to Eccles looking for work after the end of WW1 and found employment at Brown and Polson's Trafford Park, a short boat journey across the Manchester Ship Canal away.

After finishing at Eccles Parish School at the age of 14 she was soon to be a breadwinner working at Turners Asbestos Company, an industry and company you would hardly associate with good health.

She told me about the Christmas Blitz of 1940 and how she was forced to shelter in the deep cellars at Brown and Polson,

Quote

 

"It was the noise I remember most, the sound of the bombs falling and the rattle of machine gun bullets being fired, it was really frightening for me, terrible, really terrible, I will never forget it"

 

The war did see Lillian meet her husband to be, George who at the time was serving on the HMS Nizam in the Royal Navy,

Quote

 

"I asked him why he had joined the Navy and he told me, he didn't like walking! he came from Yorkshire and was a lovely looking man, we got married at Eccles Parish Church and he looked very smart in his navy uniform.

"The separations when he went away were awful, waiting for a letter from him and when they did arrive were so heavily censored there wasn't much to read."

 

It was lovely to hear Lillian tell me that when she was a girl, she and her sister would visit the local cinemas in Eccles and Patricroft, calling in at the Empire, which closed in 1940 after being damaged in the Blitz, The Crown and The Palladium where she recalls seeing a lady violinist playing on stage between films.

After the war, George and Lillian settled down in Salters Lane, Eccles wiith George working at Gardners, in Peel Green as a machine engineer, were they had two children, Dennis and Norma.

One of George's hobbies was fishing, but as Lillian told me,

Quote

 

"I got tired of sitting at home while he was out fishing, so I bought my own fishing rods and joined him, we would go out on his motorbike, sit by a canal or pond fishing and then fall asleep in the grass, we were so happy."

 

Sadly George was to die tragically young aged just 61, however Lillian forged ahead with her life telling me of her new found hobby of decorating.

Quote

 

"I loved doing it and I was very good at it, you couldn't see the seams of any of my jobs.

"I decorated several friends rooms, I told them to go out for the day and leave me so I could finish the job, I never had any complaints!"

 

I did ask her how she had kept so young, the secret?

Quote

 

"I keep busy, I keep going, doing things be as active as I can, I wan't one for sitting still, I like helping people, I loved helping my neighbours out, I miss things like that as I have grown older."

 

As I sat and listened to her it occurred to me that in her lifetime she had seen, The Great Strike, WW2, the bombing of Eccles, the birth of the National Health Service, the silent cinema, three Kings and one Queen on the throne, 25 Prime Ministers, Decimalisation  and so many, many more.

Lillian will be having a family birthday party next Sunday surrounded by her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, however she will not be touching alcohol.

Quote

 

"Oh,I hate that stuff, I remember having some of it with a friend years ago, I fell asleep and woke up with a terrible headache, so no, never again, lemonade for me"

 

I for one will raise a glass to you Lillian, for you are truly a special person and it was pleasure to spend an hour with you, many thanks.

Finally I would like to ask for your help here, I thought it would be good idea if any of our readers would be so kind as to send her a birthday card? it would really surprise her and help make her special day that little bit more special.

So, if you can, drop her a card to:

Lillian Berry

c/o Amaadeus,

      Hampson Grove

      Eccles

      M30 OQU

Cheers!