Eye centenarian gives her advice for a long life

 

A resident at a care home in Eye gave valuable life advice when she toasted a special milestone.  

Sheila Inglin celebrated her 100^th birthday in style at Care UK’s Hartismere Place, on Castleton Way, and shared her secret to living a long life “use Olay skincare and don’t get in trouble with the police.”

Born in Euston on 9^th August 1924, Sheila grew up as an only child to her parents Charles and Doris Benson. During her childhood, Sheila often visited her grandparents in Cornwall, where she would collect eggs from their chickens and care for the newborn chicks. 

Aged seven, Sheila moved to Barnehurst in Kent after her father got a job working for the National Railway, but when World War Two began, the family were evacuated to Northwood Hills in Middlesex. 

Sheila got her first job as a clerk at Lloyd’s of London but was called for national service and began working in a factory in Watford making printed circuit boards for radios.

After the War ended and inspired by her Swiss grandmother, aged 23, Sheila travelled to Lake Lucerne in Switzerland where she had a holiday romance with Albert Inglin. Returning home, Sheila told her parents and grandmother that her “heart was with Albert in Switzerland”, and so in September 1947 she returned to Switzerland to be with Albert.

Over the next two years, Sheila worked as an au-pair in Luzern and Geneva while spending all her spare time with Albert, a Swiss soldier. She visited Albert’s family in Andermatt, meeting his parents and all 11 of his siblings.

In April 1949, the happy couple came back to England to get married, and for two years they lived together in Sheila’s parents' house in Northwood Hills. They then moved to Sheila’s childhood home in Barnehurst where they lived happily and raising their three children – Bruce, Claire and Margaret.

Sheila was a full-time mother and Albert worked as head waiter at the Dorchester Hotel in London for over 30 years. In her spare time, Sheila attended baking, pottery and country dancing classes, and she was also part of the young wives group at her local methodist church. She also enjoyed sewing and knitting and made many of her children’s clothes. 

After Sheila and Albert’s children moved out, they moved to Frinton-on-Sea and then to Debenham, and travelled around Europe, Australia and New Zealand – where they met their first grandchild, Davina. The couple now have three more grandchildren; Jason, James and Louise, and two great grandchildren; Oliver and Madelyn.

When asked her secret to living a long life, Sheila said: “A happy marriage, loving family, Oil of Olay for the skin and not getting in trouble with the police.”

Sheila also shared her advice for the younger generation: “Always tell the truth, never go to bed on an argument, travel when you can, learn new things each day and always be kind to each other.”

Claire Martin, Home Manager at Hartismere Place, said: “It was an honour to celebrate Sheila’s birthday with her. She is a beloved resident at Hartismere Place, and we all had a lovely time marking this tremendous milestone.

“Everything we do centres around supporting residents to live fulfilling lives, which is why we are always eager to mark special occasions. Sheila’s 100^th birthday was no exception, and it was a delight to hear her sound advice for living a long and happy life.”

Hartismere Place has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives. The home provides full-time residential, residential dementia, as well as short term respite care. The team also operates a day centre, the Hartismere Place Day Club, open to the community throughout the week.