101 years young

Still as quick-witted as ever and enjoying life to the full, Daisy received visitors from 2pm until early evening at her home off Limavady Road, and enjoyed a birthday tea with her daughter Margaret and son-in-law Walter, which featured a huge, rich birthday cake, decorated with edible daisies with birthday greetings piped in in coloured icing on top.

Flooded with birthday cards and greetings, the postbag was particularly heavy on Monday, and local florists found themselves busy making up floral arrangements and bouquets as well.

Delighted to celebrate Daisy’s birthday with her, Walter said that while there were no birthday cards for 101st birthdays, nevertheless, to reach 101 was “a great achievement”.

Although he said he knew that no one gets a telegram from the Queen for a 101st birthday, he did write to Buckingham Palace to see if something could be done. He was delighted to get a response.

“I sent a copy of the Sentinel’s coverage of Daisy’s birthday last year and requested a letter from the Queen but it was a case of no dice,” he siad, producing the letter from the palace Anniversaries Officer, Ms J Wilson, which read: “Thank you very much for your letter of 17th January, in which you request a message of congratulations from The Queen to be sent to your mother-in-law on the occasion of her one hundred and first birthday. Thank you for also kindly enclosing the newspaper cutting which we very much enjoy to see and add to our display in the office.

“Mrs Jane McBride received a congratulatory message from Her Majesty on her one hundredth birthday and, as is The Queen’s long-held custom not to send a further message before a one hundred and fifth birthday I am afraid that it will not be possible to fulfil your request on this occasion.

“Nevertheless, Her majesty was interested to hear of your mother-in-law and has asked that her good wishes be conveyed to Mrs McBride for a happy day on 7th February.”

Asked what she had received by way of birthday gifts, Daisy said she had received sweets, several bouquets and either 332 or 34 cards.

“I got a lot of cards from Scotland from people I knew when I lived there,” she said, adding that she was delighted with her communique from The Palace: “The next telegram is for 105, but I don’t think I’ll see that.”

She said she was also looking forward to a family birthday tea: “I’m enjoying my birthday very much and seeing all my friends have popped in to see me.”