Broughton Astley nonagenarian celebrates her 95th birthday and recalls living through WWII

Beryl Jarvis celebrates her 95th birthday with neighbours from left, Julie Ashden, Sue Flint, Chrissy Pike, Annette Kiff and Maddie Gardner.
PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER — Beryl Jarvis celebrates her 95th birthday with neighbours from left, Julie Ashden, Sue Flint, Chrissy Pike, Annette Kiff and Maddie Gardner. PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER

She was unable to get a white wedding dress due to rationing

Birthday celebrations were in store for a nonagenarian in Broughton Astley.

Beryl Jarvis was surprised by a gathering of friends at retirement complex Gladstone Mews on her 95th birthday.

She was presented with a cake, made by a neighbour, and serenaded with a round of ‘happy birthday’.

Beryl was surrounded by friends to mark her 95th birthday.
PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER — Beryl was surrounded by friends to mark her 95th birthday. PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER

Beryl, who is originally from Weston Rhyn in Shropshire, worked as a hairdresser and had one daughter, Madeleine, with husband Kenneth.

The pair were married in 1953, and Beryl recalled she was unable to get a white wedding dress due to food and clothing rationing, still in place after the war.

Instead, Beryl’s sister made her a wedding dress in blue.

The great-grandma-of-four lived through World War Two and remembers the difficulty of food rations, she said ‘were never enough’.

Beryl shared her secret to a long life: “Behave yourself, live a good life as you possibly can and be decent to others.”