A former fashion worker and WWII plotter has celebrated her remarkable 100th birthday at a Kingston care home.

Ann Galley was born in Abingdon on 18th March 1923 and enjoyed a belated century celebration with fellow residents and care home staff at award-winning care home Signature at Coombe Hill Manor.

Ann's story

After Ann's father, a pilot for the Royal Flying Corps (now the RAF and the Yorkshire Hussars), was posted to Lahore, the Coombe Hill resident spent 10 years of her childhood in India where she remembers living in a beautiful air force home and of her daily visits to the botanical gardens.

Ann's father was then reposted to Sealand, where she attended a nearby prep school but was forced to restart her education from kindergarten as she was homeschooled in India. The prep school was right on a railway line and run by two old maids, however Ann does not look back on her time in Sealand with fond memories as she was bullied during her time there.

Shortly after graduating at 16 in Peterborough, Ann remembered vividly sitting at a table near the window doing some homework when the announcement came over the radio that war had been declared on Germany. She knew from that moment that her life would change drastically.

Ann's father was recalled from retirement and posted at Staverton Airport. Alongside her cousin June, Ann decided to enlist in 1941 and was posted at Biggin Hill where she commenced with training to be a plotter. Undertaking eight-hour on/off shifts, Ann sympathises with the long hours undertaken by carers.

Ann spent two-and-a-half years at Biggin Hill creating a host of special memories including singing in a show with her cousin, touring and entertaining the forces at different locations. Ann is still invited to lay a wreath at the Biggin Hill chapel every year on Remembrance Day. 

Ann has fond memories entertaining the forces during WWII as well as her work as a plotter (Credit: Coombe Hill Manor)

The Labour government in place after Churchill provided education grants to everyone who had put their education on hold while they served in the war. Ann went to study general design at Cheltenham and loved painting. 

Despite receiving three jobs in the Nottingham area following her studies, Ann decided to accept a position in London for Kayser Bondor based in Bond Street.

Three years later they expanded into Australian and Ann who was newly married, left with her husband as "Ten Pound Poms" to take up a position in the new factory that was opened in Melbourne.

As a newly-wed couple, Ann remembers it being very strange that men and women were separated on board the ship from Tilbury to Fremantle and that they could only meet up in the bathrooms, it was not a pleasant experience at all she admitted.

Unfortunately, Ann's experience to Australia was not as she had hoped. The couple's accommodation was small and very basic and Ann remembers her 6ft husband taking up the whole bed.

She soon realised that she was not being paid what she was worth after her studies and experience so left and joined a smaller private company called Gloria, run by a wealthy Polish Jew from Kiev who had survived the war by producing vests and pants for soldiers, and had then set up business in Australia. Ann worked for him in Australia for 10 years and during this time, divorced her husband and married his boss Bill who she had met through one of his work parties. 

Ann in uniform from her time at Biggin Hill and during her 100th birthday celebrations (Credit: Coombe Hill Manor)

Ann then returned to England with her second husband to look after her mum who was ill, where they were based in Kent. They came over on the first PO ship, The Arcadia through to the Isle of Wight. Ann mentioned that one of Coombe Hill's hospitality team, Felix, has also worked on one of the ships on this route, The Aurora, and said she is sure they would have been on one of the same cruises during her many trips back and forth from Australia. 

Ann worked as a representative for Gloria in the UK, sending information on the latest fashion trends so they were always ahead of the Australian market. Eventually the company was sold to Speedo. 

Ann and Bill spent time after travelling Europe, in particular Spain and back to Australia often. Ann spent a lot of the time painting and continued her travels on her own after Bill passed away and then in the company of her third husband Robert, who was a work colleague of Bill's.

After two bad falls injuring her back and hip, Ann had been struggling to live independently and decided to make the move to Coombe Hill Manor.

It has been an emotional time for Ann downsizing and selling her own home, but her 100th birthday celebrations have allowed time to reflect on a truly remarkable life.

A very (belated) happy birthday from Nub News!