Erskine Veteran Margaret Celebrates 105th Birthday

Erskine Veterans Charity resident Margaret Blair today celebrated her 105th birthday surrounded by family, friends, and fellow residents at McKellar House at The Erskine Home in Bishopton.

Margaret, who has lived at Scotland’s leading veterans charity for just over two years, celebrated the milestone with a special gathering and received a birthday card from the Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of Renfrewshire on behalf of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla, the latest in what her family describes as a treasured collection of royal correspondence.

Born on 12 May 1921 in her grandmother’s house in Dumbarton, Margaret was the eldest of five children. She attended College Street Primary School and Dumbarton Academy before beginning work in the embroidery room of the United Turkey Red Works in Dalquhurn, Renton.

During the Second World War, Margaret worked as an overseer at the Blackburn Aircraft Factory in Dumbarton, known locally as “The Aircraft”, where Sunderland Flying Boats were manufactured to support the war effort.

In 1941, she enlisted in the Women’s Land Army and was posted to her uncle’s farm, Southmains, in Milngavie. It was there that she met her future husband, Christie Blair, son of the local gamekeeper on the Mains Estate.

Christie had joined the RAF in 1940 and served until 1947, returning home from India before the couple married in August 1948. They settled in Bearsden, where Margaret lived for more than seven decades before moving to McKellar House at The Erskine Home in January 2024.

Christie passed away at Haig House, The Erskine Home, in May 2017, shortly after becoming a resident.

Together, Margaret and Christie raised one daughter, Senga, born in 1957. Margaret is now also grandmother to two and great-grandmother to three

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Reflecting on the milestone, Margaret said: “I’ve had a great life and so many happy memories over the years. I feel very fortunate to be celebrating my 105th birthday and to have reached this milestone surrounded by family, friends and everyone here at McKellar House. It has been lovely to spend time together and celebrate with so many familiar faces. The secret to a long life is a good cup of tea with friends, and we’ve had a few of them today.”

Margaret, who has never smoked or drunk alcohol, attributes much of her happiness to simple pleasures, particularly home-cooked food and good company. A self-confessed “Tea Jenny”, she has long maintained that a cup of tea can solve almost anything.

Ian Cumming, Chief Executive of Erskine Veterans Charity, said: “It is a real privilege for everyone at Erskine to celebrate Margaret’s 105th birthday. Reaching such an extraordinary milestone is truly inspiring and gives us the opportunity to honour a lifetime rich in memories, resilience and contribution. Margaret is very much part of our Erskine family, and it has been wonderful to know her day was filled with joy, laughter and the company of those who care about her most. We are delighted to share in this special moment and send her our very warmest congratulations."