Well-travelled Sally of Shropshire celebrates 100 years

Eithwen Phillips, known as Sally to friends, was treated to a party in Shrewsbury by friends and family where they looked back on her extraordinary life so far.

Sally was born in London in 1919 but has lived happily in Shropshire for over 10 years, moving to Shrewsbury in 2007 and then Oswestry in 2015.

Sally's son David and his wife Sue helped organise the birthday party at the Albright Hussey Manor hotel and managed to keep it a secret from his mother, ensuring she got a big surprise when she saw all the guests at the hotel.

David said: "She was born in Dulwich, south London in 1919. She lived in Geneva, Switzerland, as a young girl where she spoke fluent French, and then returned to Dulwich at the age of eight.

"During the Second World War she worked at ‘the Prudential’ and was regularly on duty as an Air Raid Precautions warden. She married her long-standing RAF fiancé, Arthur, during the air raids, so they married in the crypt of the church. He was on leave on one of his rare home visits from his secret Y-division duties around the world.

"After the war they moved to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne where Arthur was the manager of an SPCK bookshop. Whilst living here they had their two sons, David and Malcolm.

"Throughout her life Eithwen has been very involved in a number of roles in the Church of England.

"She has also often been involved in amateur dramatics, and has always been very sociable. She has always been a dog lover and her family life has included many much loved dogs.

"The family moved to the Midlands in the early 1950s and then to Surrey in the mid-1950s.

"Eithwen worked as a PA in a large Surrey hospital, and later, as a freelance agent in the book trade in London with Arthur, until they both retired.

"They moved to Lelant in Cornwall in the early 1990s and then to Shrewsbury in 2007. They lived in Hazledine Court in Longden Coleham where Arthur sadly died in late 2007.

"She has two sons, seven grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and three step-great-grandchildren She is greatly loved by her family, and by all her friends."

Saturday's party at the hotel was the first of two this weekend, as her other son Malcolm took charge of organising another for her today.

Reflections

On Saturday Sally said: "It's wonderful. It's marvellous to be with all the friends and relatives that I'm with. I'm very, very fortunate to be able to enjoy the occasion fully.

"I've got wonderful family and it's so marvellous that so many of them are here now today.

"It's a lovely surprise, I never thought I was going to see everyone and it's unbelievable that it's real.

"I have lots of memories to look back on and fortunately they're very happy memories. I will never forget this day, this is one of the very important days of my life."

She reflected on Freda Gerhardt, a firm friend she first met when they walked up the same steps on their way to sign up as air raid wardens.

They would go 'firewatching' together and their bond persisted after the war, so much so that Freda's son Paul was one of the attendees on Saturday.

Freda's husband Fred was also a good friend of Sally's late husband Arthur.

"He was the best husband you could ever have. We had a very happy marriage, unfortunately he had to go from this earth before me but I'm sure he's waiting for me," she reflected on her beloved husband,

On her adoptive home, Shropshire, she said: "I think it's a very nice, friendly place. I do love the countryside. It's lovely to drive in the front of the car and look."

Most of all, she spoke of how grateful to her sons and Sue she was. She couldn't praise them enough for organising the party and for their support over the years.

And her secret to reaching 100 years of age? "To have a lovely family and to be interested in everything that's going on in the world."