PEEBLESSHIRE woman Audrey Short celebrated her 100th birthday with a well-deserved glass of champaign and slice of cake at Hay Lodge Hospital on Sunday.
Audrey Helen Avery was born on July 3, 1923 in Northumberland – the first child of James and Helen Avery.
She had two younger sisters, Hazel and Pauline, and attended school in Newcastle.
After leaving school, Audrey started work in ladies' fashion and bridalwear then during the war, she carried out important munitions work at Armstrong's on Tyneside.
After the war she met and fell in love with Fred Short and the pair married in the early 1950s.
At that time the couple stayed in Monkseaton, North Tyneside, where Fred worked as a purchasing manager for a chemical company.
The couple had two boys, Paul and Roy who, sadly died at birth; two grandchildren, James (who lives with his family in Broughton) and Clare (who lives in Peebles); and one great granddaughter, Darcy, aged 11.
Sadly Fred passed away in 1991 and Audrey moved to the Borders to join the family, initially staying in Eddleston before moving to Broughton five years ago.
Audrey enjoyed her party with her family and happily recalled her work during World War II.
“I helped put the submarines out to sea and that helped to win the war,” she recalled proudly.
When asked the secret to becoming a centenarian she gave the matter some thought and replied: “Hard work, clean living, plants and rugby.”
At the party Audrey enjoyed a sing a long to some of her favourite songs and displayed her card from the King and Queen.
But the mood was best summed up by another card from a family member with the message: “This may be one birthday in a hundred, but to us you're one in a million. An inspiration”.
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