Buxton local Mary Skellington turns 100!

Mary was born in County Donegal, Ireland on 14 May 1924 and grew up on the family farm, knowing how to churn butter, make hay, pluck chickens and catch rabbits and eels with the aid of a lamp.

She came to England as a young girl and moved to Buxton in the Peak District of Derbyshire, where she met her husband Sid. They married in 1950. They lived on Alma Street for over 30 years.

Both Sid and Mary worked for the NHS for many years, Sid becoming Head Porter at the Devonshire Royal Hospital in Buxton and Mary becoming Laundry Manager at the same hospital.

They enjoyed staying at their caravans in the Lake District and the Lancashire Dales and exhibiting their prize-winning dogs at local shows.

After retirement they travelled widely, from Poland and Russia, throughout Europe and to Egypt and Tunisia as well as many holidays in the UK. Young at heart, they loved to travel! They enjoyed Malta and had a timeshare apartment there for many years.

They lived in Buxton until 2018 then moved together to The Maples in Newcastle.

Sid and Mary were married for 68 years until he passed away in 2019, but Mary has a huge extended family. Her daughter Jackie lives in Stafford, her son Steven lives in Buxton and Mary has 13 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren. Her family live in Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Cheshire and Worcestershire - and her grandson Tom now lives in New York.

Happy 100th birthday Mary!