When Evelyn Heywood was born, King George V was on the throne and she recently received a special telegram from the fourth Monarch she has known in her 100 years.
The telegram from Queen Elizabeth was one of the many highlights of the celebrations to mark Evelyn’s birthday.
Staff at Queen’s Lodge arranged a party tea and over the course of the weekend, Evelyn was visited by various members of her family, including her four children Jennifer, Norman, Cliff, and Diane.
Born and bred in Blackburn, Evelyn is the eldest of seven children (six brothers!).
She started work aged 14 working as a Winder in a cotton mill. This involved winding cotton thread onto one or more bobbins and was considered a specialised job.
Like many people in that era, Evelyn met her husband Fred in a dance hall and as he used to teach ballroom dancing, it meant they were always able to put their best feet forward,
During the War, Fred served in the Royal Navy on a minesweeper and despite a near miss with a bomb which exploded close to his ship leaving him deaf, he survived, and the couple went on to have four children. They also have six grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.
Fred sadly passed away in 2005 and Evelyn continued to live at home, until, due to her age, it became apparent that she needed support.
With Fred having lived at Queen’s Lodge, it was an easy decision for Evelyn and her family to make and she moved into the home in September 2020.
Evelyn’s daughter Jennifer said: “My father-in-law was also at Queen’s Lodge, so we already knew what a great home it was and as mum used to visit dad in there; she was already very familiar with it.
“Moving into the home during the pandemic wasn’t easy, but the staff are all lovely and helped her to settle in – it’s definitely the best place for her.
“And it was nice to be able to go into the home to celebrate her special birthday.”
