9:00am Saturday 4th September 2010
RELATIVES and friends of Gladys Ganley gathered for a surprise celebration of her 100th birthday.
And the milestone event at Leigh Cricket Club provided an insight into her remarkable journey through life that began in 1910.
Gladys of Chestnut Drive, Leigh, was born at Buck Fold Farm, Landside. Her parents were Wilbraham Lythgoe ( a brother of Adam Lythgoe ), who had been born literally around the corner at Goose Nest Cottage, and Mary Lythgoe (nee Glover) from Atherton.
Gladys attended Pennington Elementary School, West Bridgewater Street, Leigh and left at 14 when she worked full time on the family farm along with brother Jack and sister Alice. She recalls doing just about every job there including haymaking, gathering crops, looking after a variety of animals, mucking- out and milking cows. She also delivered milk and many people will remember her sister Alice who delivered milk by horse and cart in the Pennington area certainly well into the 1950s.
Gladys recalls that she met her husband, Bert, at Flynn’s Dance Hall in Lowton. They were married at Sacred Heart Church, Leigh in 1938 and set up home in Furnival Street. Bert worked at Pennington Mill, just off St. Helens Road, and served in the RAF during the Second World War.
Gladys remembers that their house in Furnival Street was badly damaged by a German bomb which was dropped somewhere around Westbourne Ave. Following this, she moved back to Buck Fold Farm, along with her baby daughter Bernice, where they remained for most of the war years.
Subsequently, they returned to Furnival Street and a son, Colin, was born in 1945.
Gladys started work in the early 1950s in the sewing room at Atherleigh Hospital where she remained for many years.
The family moved to her present home in Chestnut Drive around 1961. Sadly, Bert died in 1994.
In addition to her daughter Bernice and son Colin, Gladys has grand daughter Pauline who lives in Aberdeen, grandson Duncan now in Australia, and a great grand daughter Ailie.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.leighjournal.co.uk/trade_directory/