100th birthday celebrations for life-long Bostonian

Doreen Cridland, née Ellis​, wife of the late Walter Cridland, turned 100 on Thursday, July 6.

To mark the occasion, a weekend celebration was held in Skegness, featuring a fish and chip takeaway lunch.

It was attended by Doreen’s three sons and their wives, her four grandchildren and their partners, and her five great-grandchildren.

Guests travelled from London, Essex, Leeds, Lytham St Annes, Whalley Bridge, and Berwick on Tweed for the celebrations.

Speaking to The Standard about reaching 100 years old, Doreen said: “I never thought I would live this long. I think that hard work, whether in a job or looking after the family never hurt anyone. Also keeping at it and not giving up on things. I fell and broke my hip when I was 95, and that was my first time in hospital – in the Pilgrim. I have managed to get walking again, and still live in my own home with help from friends, neighbours and family.”

Looking back to her childhood, she said: “I remember some hard times when I was a girl and my Dad was out of work for a while. My Mum and Dad and six children lived in a two-bedroom house in Colley Street. I shared a 3/4 bed with two of my sisters. The neighbours were lovely people. However, I didn't like it when they herded cattle down the street, past our house, to the abattoir at the end of the road.”

Doreen would go on to attend Boston High School (after winning a place at the then fee-paying establishment), before entering the world of work and playing a supporting role in the Second World War.

“As a young girl, I was sent to work at Grimble & Kent Chemists as a dispenser when the war started,” she said. “After a day’s work, we had to take turns on fire watch duty at night because of enemy planes.

“I also helped in St John Ambulance. During my turns on call at night, we were on camp beds back in the old High School buildings. One dark night I went in the ambulance with its driver way out on the Fens to bring a sick person back to Boston Hospital for treatment. I was sometimes loaned out by the chemists shop to help local doctors when they were short of staff.”

She described her birthday celebrations as ‘lovely’ and thanked everyone who helped her celebrate it.