100 year old Edith Gallagher

100 year old Edith Gallagher celebrates her birthday with family.

Transcript

00:00I'm Avril, I'm Edith's daughter, middle child. I live in England, married and live in Hampshire.

00:22And I have two sons, two grandsons of Edith.

00:27And what's your thoughts about the day of your mother reaching 100 years old?

00:31It's absolutely amazing. I never thought the day would come because she's had health problems and such.

00:39But she was looking forward to today, so it's great that she's been able to be here.

00:45How is she today? Is she well today?

00:47Earlier on this morning she was really really bright, but she's had so many people come to see her that she's getting very tired now.

00:54And I think she'll be very tired tomorrow as well.

00:58What's it like seeing all the family get together for Edith's birthday like this?

01:02It's great. Some of the family I haven't seen for several years in fact.

01:06I mean I've been coming over regularly to see my mother.

01:10So I've seen my brother and sister quite a bit. Some of the other cousins I haven't seen for several years.

01:19Is it an emotional day?

01:21Sorry?

01:22Is it an emotional day?

01:23Oh very very, yeah. Especially as I can now see my mother getting really really tired.

01:29I think it's a bit overwhelming for her. It hasn't been an emotional day.

01:34Stephen?

01:37Go ahead.

01:48Yeah, sure. I'm Edith's son. My name's Stephen Gallagher.

01:52We never thought we'd see this day.

01:56But mum made a hundred I suppose as a surprise.

02:01She's from the north of England and they make them stout up there.

02:05She's a Lancashire woman and they always say Lancashire blood means strong blood.

02:10So she's just a blow in.

02:13I think our blood is probably not as strong as hers.

02:17I don't think I'll see it.

02:20Can you tell me what the emotions that you're feeling today is?

02:23It's actually been a bit of a rollercoaster of late because mum's been so early for quite some time.

02:31It's only the last few weeks that she's actually started to come round a wee bit and feel a wee bit more upbeat.

02:39But even in the earlier part of this week it actually felt like she was very tired.

02:45She slept for a couple of days.

02:47But just yesterday she came round really well and there today, well, she's doing her best.

02:52But I think she's already punctured.

02:56What's it like seeing your family at the end of the day?

03:01We're quite well scattered as a family.

03:04It's nearly always it's weddings and funerals and birthdays and cases like that that we see each other.

03:10It's lovely to be together again.

03:13There's a number of folks here I'm looking forward to chatting to because I haven't seen them in a long time.

03:18It's a great occasion.