NOW AND THEN…Peggy Robertson
AS she celebrates her 100th birthday, Fermanagh woman Peggy Roberston has revealed her secret to longevity lies in eating plenty of fish and living an independent life.
The Florencecourt woman proudly states that she has “no aches or pains” as she celebrates a century of life which has seen her serve in Egypt during the Second World War.
At the tender age of 22, Peggy left her family home in Lismooley to join the Womens’ Royal Naval Service (WRNS) where she remained for some six years.
With just her small bag of personal belongings, she left her siblings Hilda, Irene, William and Robert, and her parents James and Janie Sheridan.
She explained: “I travelled on ships, washing dishes and doing different jobs and travelled to different parts of the world and spent most of my time in Egypt.
“I was lucky nothing happened as there were quite a few ships that went down.
“We never knew where we were going, everything was a secret during a war. You packed your bags and hoped to go somewhere nice but you waited until you got there. Leaving with a carrier bag with my belongings and no one to wish me bye – that was the heart-breaking thing as I was all on my own. I was very sad leaving as my mother only died that night before the war started. All I had was a handmade clothes with a pair of shoes.
“I met my husband Tommy in Egypt where he was in the army.
“When I got holidays I went to the Holy Land and then when I got back they gave me the discharge papers because the war was over.”
The couple then returned to Tommy’s home in Edinburgh, where they had one son, Brian. However, the occasion was tinged with sadness as her husband died 30 years ago.
On turning 100, she said: “There’s nothing wrong with me, I eat a lot of fish and onions and fish oil tablets, no aches or pains and I’ve a good memory. I’m very much an outdoor person.
“I’ve had a great life, but it puzzles me why I’m still here.”
A family celebration for her was held in the Tullymill restaurant in Florencecourt.
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