THERE were celebrations galore at Ridgeway Nursing Home, Llawhaden, recently when Mrs. Emily Strickland celebrated her 100th birthday.

Mrs. Strickland was born in Barrow-in-Furness on July 17, 1910.

She did nurse training in Halifax Gerneral Hospital and later spent eight years as a qualified nanny in Barrow-in-Furness.

From this she trained as a housekeeper in Keswick, progessing to a restaurant manageress and then manageress of a gentleman's club.

She then moved to Coniston to The Crown Hotel where she became the first unmarried lady licensee in the country.

She left this position to marry her fiance, but sadly he died just before they married.

She continued her career in hotels and went on to work in the Mariners Hotel in Haverfordwest, as well as The Greyhound Hotel and The Farmers Arms as a housekeeper for a Mr. Strickland, whom she went on to marry at the age of 73. They were married for 14 years before he died.

Her claim to fame is meeting Donald Campbell when he was attempting the water speed record on Coniston Lake!