Irene White has celebrated her 100th birthday with a visit from the Lieutenant Governor at the Castle View Nursing Home in Peel.

Irene moved to the island in 1973 with her late husband Cyril, in order to be closer to her daughter Angela (who died in 2009) and her three grandchildren - Adam, Sally-Ann and Victoria.

She did not want to be left behind, wanting instead to be ’hands-on grandparents’ - and soon ’fell in love’ with the island.

Irene, originally from Staines, married Cyril in 1942. He was a sergeant in the Royal Artillery and soon after their wedding he was posted to North Africa.

parachutes

Irene spent the war years making parachutes and munitions and being a mother to their first child, Jill White, born in1942, before Angela was born in 1948.

When arriving here Cyril set up as a contract painter and decorator, while Irene worked in the One Stop Shop in Ballaugh, where they lived for several years.

They then lived at Myrtle Cottage i Kirk Michael, before retiring and moving across the road to a bungalow in Cannan Court, a sheltered housing complex - where they were ’extremely happy’ until 2010 when Cyril died, at the age of 90.

Irene was also a member of the Women’s Institute for 70 years, becoming a member of the Jurby branch on moving to the island.

Her youngest granddaughter, Victoria Artus, who worked as a senior executive in the Isle of Man Bank, married David Artus, a lead singer and dancer in musicals on the island - who also attend the celebration.

Irene is great-grandmother to nine great-grandchildren - six of whom still live in the island, and three in Brisbane, Australia.

The pandemic prevented Jill, who lives in Bristol, from attending the celebration in person, but she was able to join in via Skype.

Also because of Covid-19 restrictions, it was arranged for a separate room of the nursing home to be allocated for the party. Jill said: ’To talk to Irene about her life - it’s like watching or listening to an animated social historian explaining how disciplined life was and how small things in life meant so much.

’She has strong opinions of today’s life being made too easy and far too commercial.

’Her advice about achieving this milestone [of 100 years], "it’s important to be positive - smile, otherwise you’ll cry."’