A woman living in East Belfast has shared her secret to a long and happy life as she marked her 100th birthday surrounded by family and friends.
There was a party atmosphere on Friday afternoon, February 27, at George’s Hairdressers on the Beersbridge Road, a spot where Margaret Reid comes every week to get her hair done.
But this wasn’t just any regular day – Margaret was marking her 100th birthday, and was popping in to get her hair done ahead of a big party that evening to mark the occasion. What she wasn’t expecting was her family and friends to be waiting for her at George’s, with balloons and banners covering the salon.
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Margaret was born in England in 1926, and moved to Northern Ireland around 80 years ago after marrying Cecil Reid, who she first met when he was on weekend leave while in the Air Force.
Speaking to Belfast Live, she said: “People asked me where Cecil came from and I said Northern Ireland – but nobody knew where it was, and I’d never heard of it.
“I said it’s just somewhere across the water. He had just joined the Air Force and he couldn’t come over here for a weekend leave because it was too far away.
“A friend of my parents brought him home to their house and introduced us and evidently he said to the chap that brought him, ‘that’s a nice girl, I would like to meet her again.’
“So we brought him home again, then he went back to the services and asked if I would write to him. I wrote to him and he finished up in Burma.
“I moved to Northern Ireland when I was married 80 years ago, in 1946, we came here three days after we got married.
“I remember the first night we moved here, the weather was dreadful. It was as bad as the night the Princess Victoria went down. I came here and Cecil’s mother and father took a liking to me and I got on well with them.”
Margaret and Cecil were married for 65 years before he passed away, and she added “he was very good to me.” Even though she has now marked 100 trips around the sun, she’s not letting anything slow her down.
She keeps herself busy, going to watch bowls, attending church, going to a knitting group, and enjoying a coffee out and about with her family.
“I’ve been very fortunate I’ve enjoyed good health most of the time. I had the odd cold, but nothing to put me to bed kind of way. I have nothing to complain about,” she said.
“I’ve had a very happy life, I’ve been very fortunate. I used to play bowls, and I go to a knitting group and used to go dancing a few years back, but I’ve kept in touch with everybody.
“I go out and about with my family too. Every Friday, I come here to get my hair done. So that’s my life – nothing madly exciting, but very happy.”
As for how she feels to be marking her 100th birthday, Margaret said: “I don’t feel any different to how I feel any other day. I got up this morning as usual, but my tummy was turning over what day it was.
“We’re all heading out this evening for food, and all of the family are here. Family have flown across from America and England, which is amazing.”
When asked what advice she would give to anyone reading about how to live a long and happy life, she added: “I have no secret, but if I had one it would just be to be happy. I have had a good husband and a good life.”
Video by Belfast Live videographer Justin Kernoghan.
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