Former Land Girl reveals secret to a long life on her 100th birthday

 

A 100-year-old Knutsford care home resident and former Land Girl has revealed her secret to living a long and happy life – “a great sense of humour!”. 

Evadne Beardsmore, a resident at Care UK’s Cranford Grange, on Hall Lane, shared her advice to mark her newly-minted centenarian status, while celebrating with those nearest and dearest to her.  

In commemoration of Evadne’s milestone birthday, a special birthday party was organised by the team at Cranford Grange with Evadne’s friends and family, complete with a birthday cake, baked by the home’s Head Chef. 

Evadne was born on the 8^th August 1924 in Yorkshire. Passionate about helping others, Evadne pursued a career in nursing and midwifery, which she started at St Thomas Hospital in 1943. 

During the second World War, Evadne was part of the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service, where she oversaw the meals on wheels service for injured soldiers. Evadne’s career saw her work as a Land Girl through the London Blitz and D-Day, during which time she can recall seeing both Winston Churchill and members of the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in 1945. 

After the War, Evadne married her late husband, David, in 1949 and the couple went on to have two daughters. Today, Evadne has five grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren, who all regularly visit her at Cranford Grange. 

When asked what her secret was to living a long life, she said: “Always think of others and put them before yourself. A great sense of humour helps too!” 

Lisa Burrows, General Manager at Cranford Grange, said: “We were so excited to celebrate such a joyous day with Evadne and her family. As a much-loved resident at Cranford Grange, it was amazing to mark this tremendous milestone with her, celebrating her many achievements, and hear her very good advice for living a long and happy life.

“Here at Cranford Grange, everything we do centres around our ethos of ensuring residents live active and fulfilling lives – and Evadne’s 100^th birthday celebration was no exception. It was lovely to see her so happy and surrounded by those closest to her on her special day.”

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Cranford Grange, which remains open to potential residents, incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities. The home has been configured into a series of neighbourhoods to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents.