A quiet life is the key to a long and happy life

Home news

Mar 28, 2012

There will be celebrations at Care UK’s The Terrace Care Home on Tuesday 3rd April as everyone gathers to celebrate the 100th birthday of  local school teacher Miss Isabelle McGregor.

Miss McGregor, who lives at the home in Maison Dieu, Richmond, was born in Redmire, North Yorkshire. Isabelle worked in numerous Yorkshire schools as a teacher and became headmistress of Askrigg School in 1972, a position which she held for 12 years, until she retired.

She started her career in Middleham where, on several occasions, she met a young stable boy and jockey called George Formby. Later she taught at a school in Kirklington.

Activities Coordinator Sylvia Payne said: "Our Head Cook Noreen McKenna is making a special birthday cake and there will be wine and presents.

"Isabelle is a lovely lady and very popular with everyone. She is mentally very sharp and, at the moment, she is revisiting classic books with the aid of CDs and headphones as her eye-sight is not very strong. She is really enjoying revisiting some of her favourite works."

Miss McGregor was one of two children. In the month she was born, the Titanic sank, and Harriet Quimby became the first woman to fly across the English Channel. Miss McGregor’s father worked on the railways and her mother was a housekeeper in a large farmhouse in Redmire. Unusually, her grandfather taught her to read and write before she started school and she credits him with instilling in her a love of learning and literature.

Isabelle was a village girl at heart and helped with many local activities such as organising first aid training and arranging local barn dances, as well as being chairperson of the local Women’s Institute.

Miss McGregor is looking forward to her party, but she says that she enjoys a quiet life and she attributes her reaching her 100th birthday to this. She will be wearing a special outfit for her party - Sylvia said: "Mr Singh from PMS Clothing, who has visited The Terrace regularly, kindly donated a skirt and matching two-piece in pale blue, Isabelle’s favourite colour, which she is delighted with."