SKIPTON’S Vera Widdup was thrilled to receive a card from The Queen in celebration of her 100th birthday recently.

Vera was born in Castle Street, Skipton, to parents Bertha and Benjamin Hardaker. Her paternal grandfather was Ben Kirk founder of the building firm which built the war memorial in Skipton high street.

From the age of five to 14 she attended Brougham Street school. The family at that time was living in a Georgian house in Newmarket street, later this was demolished to be rebuilt as the telecommunications building.

On leaving school she took up a clerical position with Fattorini’s which was based on the corner of Caroline Square.

She was later to meet her future husband John Widdup when Mr Fattorini took the staff to Carlton Mill which was being converted to become their new warehouse.

John was one of a team of apprentice joiners working there and spotted Vera and a romance was begun.

The Second World War intervened, when Vera with her parents all went to work in Birmingham at the Vickers Armstrong factory, she was employed in the store record accounts working on spitfire production.

On returning to Skipton her war work continued at Steeton’s royal ordnance factory which made ammunition for the Second World War.

She married John in St Mary’s Church in Carlton in 1943, a marriage which lasted 67 years until John died in 2010. In 1953 they built their own ‘Grand Designs’ bungalow on land owned by the family adjacent to the family owned sawmill. They had two children and worked hard building their family home in Keighley Road.

With a group of three couples they spent many happy holidays travelling in the British Isles and Europe as package holidays became available.

Vera has great skills in needle work and made clothes for herself and the family, also soft furnishings for their home. Her interest in clothes further developed when she opened a shop in Silsden selling pre loved designer outfits. This was a success for many years until retirement. She has also been a beauty counsellor, advising on skin care and makeup.

She has been a faithful parishioner, supporter and attender of Christ Church Skipton being Baptised and confirmed there.

Vera has many interest and skills, a member of WI, RNLI, Flower Club’s, Ladies Freemason, friends of Airedale volunteer and fund raiser for McMillan nurses.

As life became more difficult living on her own she insisted she wouldn’t move away from her beloved Skipton and happily is able to continue to do so in Abbeyfield Woodlands