Centenarian’s secret is not to think about age
NOT thinking about age is the secret to a long and happy life, according to one islander celebrating her 100th birthday today.
Blanchelande Park nursing home resident Joan Galliott has received a large 100-shaped cake from home staff, as well as cards from the King, the Lt-Governor and the Bailiff, as she marks her special day with her family.
One of nine children, Mrs Galliott was born in St Peter Port in 1924 and has lived in Guernsey all her life, including through the Occupation.
She said she remembered ‘quite a bit’ about her youth, especially her wartime experiences.
‘It was a difficult time, by the end I was starving, I was only six stone,’ she said.
‘On one occasion we stole potatoes from a cellar, it’s what we had to do.’
Despite the hardship, Mrs Galliott was still able to meet and marry her late husband Ken, an electrician, during the Occupation years.
The couple met in 1941, were married at the Greffe in 1943, and were together until his death in 2004.
They had their first and only child, Kay, in 1946, and built their first house in 1952 with a States loan.
They went on to run the Monument Tavern, later known as the L’Auberge Divette, at Jerbourg, from 1957 until 1964.
Among Mrs Galliott’s favourite hobbies were fishing, chess, camping and knitting guernseys.
She recalled one occasion where a successful fishing competition landed her in a national newspaper.
‘I caught a 15-pound bass, and I was named Angler of the Week by The Sunday Telegraph.’
‘Unfortunately my trousers ripped just before I was about to have my picture taken for the paper, which was a bit embarrassing.’
Trips to France have been a big part of her life, with her love of chess and camping taking her to competitions and campsites all over the country.
‘They were so long ago now, but I went all over, we used to stay in a big tent, that’s all I can really remember,’ she said.
A resident at Blanchelande Park since 2019, Mrs Galliott said a lifetime of no smoking and only the occasional glass of red wine had contributed to her reaching 100, and intended to stick around a little while longer yet.
‘I’d love to make it to 105,’ she said.
