Former shoemaker and midwife to celebrate 102nd birthday

Gladys Reid who's celebrating her 102nd birthday on April 13. Collect picture of Gladys on her wedding day.Picture: MARK BULLIMORE (Image: Archant Norfolk 2015)

Gladys Reid, from Lloyd Court care home in the grounds of Kelling Hospital, near Holt, will mark her milestone birthday on

Monday.

Mrs Reid, who has three adopted daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, was born and grew up in a village outside Northampton.

She had no other siblings and her mother, Emily Freeman, died from tuberculosis soon after she was born.

Mrs Reid was brought up by her father, George Freeman and stepmother, and went to school at Bletchley, near Milton Keynes.

The family moved to Northampton and, after leaving school at 14, she worked with her father for four years collecting and making shoes.

She started general nursing training at Leicester City General Hospital aged 18 before going on to train as a midwife at a hospital in the East End of London.

During her long career as a district midwife she worked in London, Essex, Hertfordshire and Leicester.

She saw many changes and at one stage she covered four villages, cycling to patients' homes.

She carried on with her demanding job during the Second World War, during which time her home was bombed.

Mrs Reid said: 'I have delivered lots of babies - in caravans and all sorts of places. I loved it. There have been changes. Midwifery is very different now.'

She delivered different generations of the same families and her most memorable birth was delivering triplets on her own.

Mrs Reid married twice but both husbands have since died, and she moved to West Runton when she was in her 50s.

She worked at the former Longacre Maternity Home in the village.

Mrs Reid, who used to breed dachshund dogs, now enjoys playing Scrabble and going to Holt Methodist Church.

Do you know anyone celebrating a milestone birthday? Email sophie.wyllie@archant.co.uk