Elizabeth Aitken from Lanark celebrates her 100th birthday

And during her visit, accompanied by Lanarkshire’s Vice Lord Lieutenant Gavin Whitefield, Provost Cooper heard stories of daring wartime escapades, a determined career woman, devoted wife and mum and a keen golfer.

Elizabeth Aitken was born at Harelaw Farm on the outskirts of the town in 1922, the third of eight siblings and relished the freedom of growing up there with her brothers and sisters.

Harbouring an ambition to secure her own career in agriculture one day she did well at school but was frustrated when her father sent her to Glasgow’s domestic science college instead.

However, her headstrong nature soon wore her dad down and he eventually allowed her to enrol in Auchincruive agricultural college in Ayrshire where she thrived during the pre-war years.

On leaving college Elizabeth had a number of jobs which took her from King’s College, Newcastle to Carlisle and then back to Scotland bringing with her a reputation as an ‘agricultural trouble-shooter’.

One of her main areas of expertise was helping farms experiencing problems with the quality of their milk and figuring out what had gone wrong. With the farm remaining in the family to this day, run by her nephews, she still contributes ideas to the harvest or comments on the new milk tanks.

This knack for problem solving also allowed Elizabeth to play her own part in the war effort. Having been taught to drive by her brother, she took on the challenge of navigating country roads, driving with the lights dimmed as was the law during WW2, helping to remove signs which would make it harder for any invading army to locate farms.

This prowess behind the wheel continued throughout her life, driving daily until her mid-90s. Also, as a nonagenarian she swapped four wheels for wings, twice making the journey across the world to visit family in New Zealand

Elizabeth married David Aitken in 1950 and the couple had two daughters, Margaret and Jean, following which she took time out from her career to raise her family.

Said Jean: “She was a fantastic stay-at-home mum, making sure she was always there for us and cooking three-course lunches every day. Soup was always a staple, and teatime meant cakes on the table. She was also a really hospitable hostess, and no-one came to visit without the offer of a meal.

“That commitment to family is, and was, so important throughout her life. She has amazed us all with her remarkable ability to turn the other cheek and offer a hand to anyone in need.”

Elizabeth also enjoyed sport, with a particular passion for hockey in her youth and golf as an adult.

She never misses her favourite sports which also include football, rugby, and tennis, thanks to a full satellite TV sports package.

Provost Cooper described her meeting with Elizabeth as a great privilege.

She said: “Having the chance to spend time with people like Elizabeth, learning even a little from her lifetime of stories, is a genuine treat.

“A hard worker, a devoted family person, and an example to all, Elizabeth will be remembered by many in Lanark as a volunteer, delivering meals-on-wheels to the elderly in Braxfield and down into New Lanark long before it was restored.

“She was also an active member of Lanark in Bloom, sitting on a small stool, continuing to look after planters into her nineties. I’m sure that the people of the town will join me in wishing her the happiest of 100th birthdays.”​​​​​​​