Daredevil Chrissie joins friends to toast 104 years

Chrissie Robertson marked her birthday on Thursday with a party at the care home where she lives with friends and staff.

Ms Robertson was born in Edinburgh in 1906. She moved to Millerhill, Midlothian, when she was four years old and lived in Bonnyrigg until she was 101.

She started working at the age of 14 and spent her working life in service as a housekeeper for private clients, including a local GP in Bonnyrigg. She also worked as a domestic at Loanhead hospital and was actively involved with the local parish.

She never married and has no children.

She now lives in Aaron House care home in Penicuik, where she has been for nearly three years.

She is known for keeping active well into her old age.

When she was 96, Ms Robertson rode one of Europe's tallest roller coasters.

A close friend who regularly visited and looked after her for more than 30 years, Sheena Hilton, paid tribute and said: "She went to Blackpool and rode on The Big One. She was waving her hanky at everyone from the top.

"She has always been very active and very bright. She is quite fit for someone her age because for a while she lived two floors up so she had to go up and down those flights of stairs every day, and she had her dog to walk too. I think that kept her very fit."

Ms Robertson has always had a genuine desire to fly a plane and on her milestone 100th birthday she was set to go up in a hot air balloon.

Unfortunately, the ride was cancelled because of poor weather. At the care home on Thursday afternoon Ms Robertson was enjoying her birthday celebrations at a joint party with another couple there who were celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary.

As featured in Saturday's Evening News, Clifford and Christina Lightband were celebrating the milestone having met as teenagers at a church hall dance in Corstorphine in 1944.

Unknown to Ms Robertson, a couple of her friends were due to make a surprise visit, flying in from England to see her at the party.

Aaron House care home worker Michelle Gray said that, although Ms Robertson is now in a wheelchair, she remains active and healthy.

She said: "Chrissie is still very active. She takes part in all the care home's activity programmes and is always up for a laugh."