Good living and long walks the secret to Christine's 100 years
Good living, good food and lots of walking are the keys to a centenarian's long life.
Christine Blackwell was joined by her daughter Susan Stokes to help celebrate her 100th birthday on Wednesday, December 22 at her home in Great Barr.
A large number of presents were given to Christine to mark her special day, including a number of bouquets of flowers and cards from friends and well-wishers, including a card from the Queen.
Susan said her mother had been overcome with the amount of cards and presents she'd been given.
"She had a real abundance of presents and flowers, which are all gorgeous, plus more than 40 cards," said Susan.
"She said she couldn't believe how many presents she'd been sent and I think she's been very well looked after by everyone who sent her something."
Christine was born on December 22, 1921 at home in West Bromwich and lived in the town throughout her childhood, going to Beaconsfield School.
She also served her country when she joined the the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the women's branch of the British Army during the Second World War, in the early 1940s, serving in the Signals Corp, including time working near Bletchley.
Susan added: "She won't say too much to me and the family about those times, although ask her yourself and she'll talk for hours about it.
"After the war, she went to night school to study as a shorthand typist and found she was very proficient at that and did that work for various companies over the years.
"She also met my father, Stan, during that time when they were both at night school and got married at St Margaret's Church in Great Barr in the late 1940s."
After marrying Stan, the couple settled down in Great Barr and had their daughter Susan, also enjoying their time with a granddaughter and two great-grandchildren and visiting family in Devon.
Susan said the couple had enjoyed more than 50 years of marriage before Stan's death in 2004 at the age of 82, and said what she thought had given her mother such a long life.
She said: "My mum won't say this, but I believe that's down to the fact that they used to walk everywhere, enjoyed long walks and also have a good home life and she cooked really good food as well.
"She also never drinks or smokes, so I think that's what does it and I think it's just wonderful to see her having lived such a long life."
