you
My name is Ellen McDonald. I'm a hundred years old.
It's a birthday I'll remember till the day I die, my daughter-in-law.
She said, no, you've not to go to the centre yet.
You have to wait till the postman's been, because it has to be signed for.
And I thought, I wonder if it's Queen's photograph.
And it's a beautiful photograph of Queen.
Queen Lizzie, I call her.
I had a sad childhood, although today there's millions of kidneys born,
and it doesn't even know the father.
Now I was a war orphan, my father got killed, he got killed, he wasn't killed in France, he was killed in Belgium.
His regiment must have been in Belgium by then.
And I often wish I could have a better memory.
I could only remember his face if I saw his photograph.
And he had his photo too, full uniform on, and not one of them caps.
He had a proper cap on, you know, with a never.
The only time I were up is when I met my husband dancing, you know.
And he said to me one day, I said, what made you notice me in dance?
And he said, I said to him, that's a nice little redhead there.
And he said, he took his coat, Sidney's friend told me, he took his coat off.
And he flung it on Sid's arm, and he said, I'm off tour for a dance.
And he took a coat, I never danced with nobody else, I got fed up with dancing with him.
You know, because he said to me, you're all a little dancer.
And I said, well, I've been dancing, learned dancing, and since I was 14, I've had plenty of good lessons, you know.
But I had the happiest time in my life is when the day I got married.
You see, in 19, I was married in 1933, 2nd of September, 1933.
And you were looking to have all the money, we managed four days at Blackpool, it's all we could afford.
I couldn't have children, you know, so I went to make sure and he said, you're a perfect.
He said, there's no reason why.
So I spoke too soon, I come with two in 13 months, and Terry and Lawrence, well Terry.
One day he came home and he said, I've had a bad headache today, my mum are at school.
So I called doctor and he came and I told him, and he said, oh, he's probably starting with flu.
There's a big epidemic, a flu going on, but they should have investigated him further.
And he said, I'll leave him some tablets.
And they've been those years, they'd be aspirin.
And anyway, his idea went no better.
So I called the doctor again, and it was another doctor.
So he said, oh, I'll send him to hospital, they sent him to say, James.
And on this particular day he said to me, mama, am I dying?
He was so clever, he could read.
I taught him to read, you know, because I really could read a young, and he said, am I dying, mama?
And I said, oh, I hope not love.
You're very poorly, you're very poorly, but I said, I'm praying every day that you'll get better.
So he said, if I die, he said, well, I go to Eden.
I said, well, that's what we taught, whether you believe it or not.
I said, but if you don't go to Eden, love, nobody else will, doors will be shut if you don't go, you know.
And all at once I said, well, why can't I see?
And I thought me out, we're going to stop.
And I looked, and I went like this in front of him, and he never looked, he'd gone blind.
And a nurse come in and write breezes, she said, well, he's gone.
She said, he went perfect, he knew nothing.
And I said, do you mean he's dead?
She said, yes.
So I said, well, I want to see him.
Oh, she said, you can't know.
The other nurse that was more sympathetic, just come on, I'll take you.
I said, you've no need to worry.
I said, I won't even break down and cry if I can help it.
And when I went in to see him, I bent over and I kissed him and he was still warm.
Seven and five, seven and five.
The garden gate, it's number eight.
Daughter's orders, number nine.
One and seven, seven.
My husband was a dispatch rider during the war, and he got blown off with shrapnel.
And you know, when there's a delta in a river, in a sea, there's sand like a little beach.
He got blown onto this delta and he laid for 48 hours before anybody found him.
Well, he was in hospital.
He was in St. James's for a while, then they moved him.
And he was in a place for six months.
I tried to step through all over him.
So when he came to die, the doctor said, a blessing has died.
He said, because he had cancer.
He had cancer, I had it at 53.
So after funeral, I got the letter from the army and he said, very sorry,
we'd send a deepest sympathy.
He said, because he didn't die of injuries, he died through cancer.
So therefore, we cannot grant you a pension.
So I never got a pension or nothing.
Two and four, 24.
Four and one, 41.
Three and eight, 38.
I never thought I'd let the C-100.
I once remember, when I was young, I used to always be wishing myself dead.
And one day, an old lady who used to call her grandma pulled me up and she said,
Ellen, she said, listen to me.
Almighty God put you on this earth.
She said, and only he knows when you'll go.
You won't go because you want to go.
You'll have to wait till he comes for you.
I've learned all about sorrow.
I've learned all about joy.
I'd happy buried life.
Yes, I had a very happy life.
But I've never been drunk in my life.
No.
In fact, I could never have enough money to get drunk.
I only know that when I leave, I have a lot of stuff and I feel sorry for them.
So everything's organised.
Even my funeral's paid for.
I even told them what time and what time of coffin I wanted.
I want one like my husband, I want to have plenty of room to turn over, oh, she did laugh.
I don't think I've been put on earth for nothing.
I've done my duty, haven't I?
I think I've done my job.
Thank you.
