Milestone 100th birthday celebration for popular Worksop woman

Elizabeth Shillito was joined by family and friends at the Lion Hotel in Worksop on March 16 to enjoy a party to mark the occasion.

Guests, who travelled from across the country, enjoyed birthday cake with a ‘99+1 theme’ as Mrs Shillito insists she is going to count backwards now.

Friends had also organised letters of congratulations from friends and relatives across the globe to be presented at the party.

Proud daughter Annemarie said: “We had a really lovely time, my mum loved it, the staff went above and beyond and even got her a birthday card which was a nice touch.

"My mum really wanted to thank everybody who supports her, she has some brilliant people around her and loves the fact that people in Worksop are so supportive of her even though she is not originally from here."

Mrs Shillito, a mother to Annemarie and Carolyn and grandmother to Ellen, has lived in Worksop since 1969 after moving from the Forest of Dean.

Mrs Shillito worked at Victoria Hospital in Watson Road in the medical records department, where she made lots of friends and once she retired she was an active member of the WI.

Annemarie said: “She walks to the hairdresser every week and down town to the shops, she likes to pick up her Worksop Guardian paper herself from the newsagents,

“She has wonderful neighbours who look out for her and two particular people who help out and have become good friends now. She is a regular at the Savoy cinema and even takes part in the occasional pub quiz at The Millhouse and our family often walk with her to the White Lion for a meal - she insists on walking!”

In fact it is Mrs Shillito’s independence and active lifestyle that she believes is the secret to her long life.

Annemarie added: “She said she puts it down to always keeping active and keeping up her walking and being interested in other people.

"She is witty and lively and takes no nonsense.

"She event still takes the bins out for her neighbours.”