A WOMAN who was born in Pill in 1919 and today lives just a stone's throw away celebrated her 100th birthday this week.
Emily James was born and raised in Jeddo Street, and for the past two years has lived at the nearby Capel Grange nursing home, just round the corner from her childhood home.
She celebrated her landmark birthday with a party with friends and family on Monday.
Daughter Pat Mousley said: “Because there are so many of us, we had a staggered party throughout the day.
“We all had a great time.
“The staff at the home did the room up and brought wine and food in and they were wonderful. I can’t thank them enough.”
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Mrs James married her childhood sweetheart John James - known as ‘Curly’ - who was himself brought up on Baldwin Street in Pill, in 1939, and together they had three children - Denis, 79, Pat, 73, and Terrance, who died when he was a baby.
Today Mrs James has six grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and 11 great-great-grandchildren. her husband died in 2002.
(Emily James, from Pill, celebrated her 100th birthday with friends and family. Picture: Rachel Postle.)
“They liked going dancing and go to play family games,” said Mrs Mousley. “Mum was in a choir, and dad was in to his bowls.”
“She loved bingo,” added granddaughter Rachel Postle. “She was a familiar face at Castle Bingo and made lots of friends there. She only stopped recently.
“She used to go dance at Ebbw Bridge Club on Cardiff Road with John.”
Mrs James started out working at shop Mackross in Newport as an agent collector, and moved to the Cardiff when the Newport store closed down.
“She loved every minute of working there, said Mrs Mousley. “People in Newport would know her as the Mackross lady.
“When they closed, she went to work for the Provident. They had to ask her to leave when they found out she was 72. They threw a huge party for her when she left.”
Mrs Mousley said her mum had said the secret to her long life was “she only drinks on special occasions and doesn’t smoke, and she loves her family.”
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