'I just live life' - Hartlepool 100 year-old's outlook after surviving volcanoes, civil war and Covid

Eileen, who was born and bred in Hartlepool, has survived natural disasters, being shot at and Covid-19.

She reached the major milestone on Tuesday, November 2, and declared “I feel good”.

Despite some mobility issues, the great-great grandmother amazingly needs no medication and only moved into a care home earlier this year.

Her family say she is an inspiration.

Eileen celebrated her big day surrounded by friends and family who threw a party for her at the Golden Lion pub, in Dunston Road.

She said: “I feel good. I haven’t got a secret.

"Life just comes and goes. I just live life.”

Eileen was born in Hartlepool on November 2, 1921.

During the Second World War, she worked in a secret underground facility at Corsham, near Bath, in Wiltshire.

The network of tunnels included a military communications centre, ammunition storage and a subterranean factory for the Bristol Aircraft Corporation.

Eileen made “conrods” connecting rods for aircraft.

It was during this time that she met her future husband Jerry at a dance.

They went on to have two children, Jacqueline Everest, who lives in New Zealand, and Christine Lowther, who sadly passed away in 1994.

In the Fifties, Eileen joined Jerry, who then worked for the Government, overseas in countries including Ethiopia, Tanzania and St Vincent in the Caribbean.

They later returned to Hartlepool after more than 30 years.

Eileen’s granddaughter, Nikki Cullingford, said: “She has outlived volcano eruptions, being shot at in Ethiopia when there was civil war and last year she caught Covid.

"We thought that was it but she beat it and had no symptoms.

"She is a very strong lady and is an inspiration to us all.”

Eileen, who is now a resident of Sheraton Court care home, is a proud grandmother to Nikki, Paul, Sara and Graham.

She is also a great grandmother to Lexi, Georgia and Brodi, in New Zealand, and Dax, Josh, Tobi and Jacob here in the UK.

And Eileen is great-great grandmother to 20-month old Seb.

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