Real Lives: Phyllis reaches century with cabaret party treat

Published on Tuesday 9 August 2011 11:52

FORMER army nurse Phyllis Etty celebrated her 100th birthday with a party thrown by her friends at the Braid House day centre in Howden, West Lothian.

Originally from Yorkshire, Phyllis moved to West Lothian three years ago to live with her 93-year old brother, Bernard, and to be close to her family.

Phyllis, who has never married or had any children, was taken by surprise by a party to mark the milestone and enjoyed a morning of tea, lunch and a painting class before being treated to a one-hour concert from cabaret singer Robert Garvey, who she said was "very good".

The singer performed favourites Delilah and Let's Face The Music And Dance, as well as a special serenade for the birthday girl, You Make Me Feel So Young.

Phyllis, who attends the day centre once a week, then showed off her 100th birthday card from the Queen to staff and friends at Braid House.

Before moving to Scotland, Phyllis enjoyed a long career in nursing as she travelled the world with the army.

She trained in her home town of Sheffield and worked in what Phyllis described as "a posh nursing home in London" before being called up during the Second World War.

She was sent to work in Wales, taking care of wounded soldiers returning from the conflict.

Phyllis was then posted to West Africa, where she assisted surgeons as a theatre sister for two years before travelling to Palestine.

Towards the end of the war, she was stationed in Jerusalem to care for soldiers returning from Italy. When Phyllis was demobbed she returned to England and was offered a job as a welfare officer in a brewery looking after the workers.

She said: "I had nursed a lady and her twins and her husband was the boss in a brewery and said I could have a job.

"The girls would get nasty cuts with broken bottles and I had to stitch them up, and if they were really bad I would take them to hospital."

In addition to Phyllis' career in nursing, she also undertook a City and Guilds vocational qualification in flower arrangement.

Phyllis' niece, Moira Fowler, from Edinburgh, organised the celebrations.

She said: "Her birthday was on Sunday, July 3, so after church we had birthday cake in the house with friends and family. The Provost, Councillor Tom Kerr, popped in for a while and the Lord-Lieutenant, Isobel Brydie visited her home after the party with flowers.

"Family travelled from England to see Phyllis and so in the evening we went out for a birthday meal."

Asked what her aunt's secret to a long and happy life was, Moira revealed Phyllis "loved sweet things, didn't shy away from salt and liked a drink".

However, Phyllis attributed her longevity to "having good parents" and a "healthy life".