A life rooted in Nottinghamshire

A fuss was made none the less as family, friends and neighbours spoiled her with a big party over the weekend.

Born and bred in rural Nottinghamshire, Audrey grew up surrounded by nature and animals.

During the Second World War, she would knit socks for soldiers, sailors and airmen, and worked on her father’s dairy farm in the Women’s Land Army.

She described this as one of the happiest times of her life, and she would often sing to the animals.

“When I sang, they would stand there with their eyes half closed, listening to me,” she said.

Family, farming and adventure

After the war, Audrey met future husband George, who had returned home to Collingham after fighting in India.

During their courtship, George would cycle all the way to South Scarle every day just to see Audrey, whose mother would ensure he was gone again by sunset.

“He played the piano wherever he could find one,” said Audrey with a smile.

“When he took over at the church, he always put some rhythm into it.”

They later married in 1950 and enjoyed thrill-seeking waterskiing adventures in Spain, air rallies across Germany and France in George’s plane, and fishing trips to the peaceful Lough Currane in Ireland, where they kept a holiday home.

Together, they also took an unusual leap into the mushroom industry, setting up their own farm in South Scarle, and successfully selling their produce across Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and in Sheffield.

They would go on to have five daughters — Jackie, Zoë, Angela, Jill, and Nina — four of whom still live locally.

“All girls, can you believe it?” said Audrey. “But only one bathroom.”

“We were a handful,” Zoë said. “She used to park the prams out of earshot so she could get on with the work.

Still independent at 100

“Dad said they’d keep going until they got a boy, and then gave up at number five — he was mad about her.”

The family lived in a draughty old vicarage, believed to be haunted by the former priest, and had a vegetable garden over an acre in size to feed everyone.

Through it all, Audrey never stopped balancing family life with work on the farm.

“Mum has worked very hard, physical labour her whole life,” Zoë said.

“You can’t take that away from her and she gets frustrated she can’t do any of that anymore.

“When I came over for her 99th last year, she kept asking, ‘Am I really 99?’ — so to be 100, she can’t quite get her head around it.

“She’s packed four lifetimes into one. But I keep telling her, she’s entitled to put her feet up now and let someone look after her.”

After George died in 1985, Audrey moved to Collingham, where she has remained for the past 40 years.

She still lives in her own home down a quaint back lane, and is supported by Weldon Homecare.

After a lifetime of hard work, she now enjoys the quiet life as best as she can and has a particular fondness for birds — especially a pair of pigeons she has named Darby and Joan, which nest in her garden.

Long life runs in the family, as both of her parents lived into their 90s.

But old habits die hard, and Audrey fully admits she would rather be up and about doing things.