(Image: Freelancer)
A NORTH Yorkshire woman has celebrated her 100th birthday by organising three parties for family and friends.
Mary Gibson, who lives in Hutton Buscel, is described by her family as “curious, enthusiastic, independent and determined”.
She was born in Kensington where her lifelong interest in history was encouraged by her family.
Mary trained as a teacher after the Second World War at Froebel College in Roehampton and later taught at Francis Holland School in Sloane Square London.
She married her clergyman husband, Robert, in 1954 and they had four children, Caroline, Geoffrey, Nicholas and Fiona and moved to Guisborough when Robert became the town’s Rector and she became a popular member of the community being involved as president of the Mother’s Union, Inner Wheel,Women’s Institute, and as a teacher at Newstead Primary School.
Mary's love of history developed into a passion for giving historical talks, and visiting historical landmarks throughout Britain.
Her collection of family artefacts provided material for many of her talks, among them the family’s Waterloo Dress which was worn at a ball in Brussels on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo. Subsequently the dress featured on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow.
Described by her family as “curious, enthusiastic, independent and determined”, Mary’s life has been one of travelling, education,community service and history.
She has travelled extensively in the United States, Singapore, Australia,Brunei and Bali.
Her family said she has an amazing capacity for television quizzes, numerous books on puzzles and an ardent enthusiast of the television game Celebrity Traitors.
Mary's connection with Hutton Buscel, where she is one of the village's best loved residents,stretches back almost a century through her family taking holidays there.
Despite her age, she organised three parties in the village for residents and friends to mark her milestone
Today Mary is a grandmother of 12 and a great-grandmother of four.
Her eldest daughter Caroline said: “She reads several books a week, does jigsaws on her iPad and follows world affairs. She has an extraordinary capacity for life.”