Peggy celebrates her 100th birthday in style

Peggy Baillie celebrates her birthday with several members of her large family at her home in Motherwell

Peggy was born at the house of her parents John and Margaret Lowe in West Hamilton Street on August 14, 1917.

The youngest of six, Peggy attended Glencairn School before starting work at a cafe in Airbles Road, then ran the cafe in Clyde Park for many years.

She would subsequently become a chargehand at Metropolitan Vickers, which later became Sunvic, retiring at the age of 65 when the company moved to Uddingston.

Peggy Baillie was driven to her party in a vintage Rolls Royce

However, Peggy’s working life was far from done and she would carry on into her 80s as a cleaner at a pub, a lawyer’s office and a priest’s house.

Peggy said: “I didn’t want to go to Uddingston, but I wasn’t ready to stop working.

“When we were leaving we were given advice from a college lecturer who said not to let ourselves become ‘couch cabbages’, I took that on board then and I still do.”

Peggy, who also acted as a guard on the railways during World War 2, married George Baillie from Craigneuk at Glasgow Registry Office in 1936.

Peggy said: “I was at the shows with my friend when I thought I saw a guy who lived round the corner and went over to talk to him.

“It turned out it wasn’t him, it was George, but we hit it off and he took me out for chips that night, then we started going out soon after.”

Peggy has retained her love of chips and still gets a fish tea from The Rex delivered every Friday.

The couple moved to Delburn Street, but when the houses were demolished to make way for the fire station around 40 years ago they moved to North Lodge Avenue.

They enjoyed holidaying at the seaside, with Great Yarmouth being a great favourite.

George passed away at the age of 90, while their sons Jack and Martin are also no longer with us.

However, Peggy was joined by her five grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and over 100 guests, including friends from Great Yarmouth she hadn’t seen in years, at a party in the United Services Club, which she was chauffeured to in a vintage Rolls Royce.

Peggy said: “I’ve never drunk alcohol, I’ve never smoked and George loved the garden so we always had fresh vegetables.

“I don’t know what the secret to a long life is, but I make sure I stay active by doing my housework every day so I’m sure it all helps.”