West Lothian woman, 100, who nearly died at birth reveals secret to long life

Edinburgh Live

01-05-2025

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A West Lothian woman who nearly died at birth has celebrated her 100th birthday.
Margaret Johnston was born in her granny's house in Dalmeny on April 26, 1925, but concerns were raised when her skin appeared "blue" as it was feared Margaret had not survived.
However, her granny noticed a small pulse at the side of her head. She was then placed in a bath of warm water and revived - and is still going strong a century later.
As the West Lothian Courier reports, Margaret grew up in Stoneybank and spent the majority of her life in the village apart from the school holidays when she visited her granny.
The 100-year-old is also the only surviving sibling after her older sister Jeannie, younger sister Olive and younger brother George all passed away. Margaret started work at 14 as a table maid in a large Edinburgh household belonging to a professor and his family.
She also went on to work at Bangour Hospital, which is in the process of being demolished after laying abandoned for years. Margaret also worked in the Plessey Electronics factory in Bathgate and the Tippethill Hospital in Armadale.
(Image: West Lothian Courier)
She met husband, Tom, at Fauldhouse Miners' Club and they married a year-and-a-half later. Tom was in the Army and stationed in Newcastle, where they lived for a short time.
Tom died in 2009. The couple had one son, Gordon, whom they both adored - Margaret called him her golden boy.
Margaret does have two grandsons, Gordon and Tracy's son Andrew, who lives in Australia with his wife Laura and their five-year-old daughter Frankie; and Colin who lives in the United States with his wife Stacey. She would help out by watching her grandsons when they were small.
Margaret always kept a wee pet budgie and loves when one of the staff brings her budgies in for a visit.
She said: "I think the secret to my long life has been hard work. I've had good life but I've no desire to be really old!"
Margaret had been living in sheltered housing in Whitburn from around 2015 but moved into nearby Whitdale Care Home in August 2021, where her sibling Jeannie was a resident. They would spend every day together, with Margaret walking along to visit her sister. Jeannie passed away at the age of 99 years.
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She still enjoys an occasional sherry, or a wee whisky and lemonade, or a sweetheart stout, and a nice meal and good plain food.
Daughter-in-law Tracy, joined her for her birthday celebration at Whitdale where West Lothian's Lord Lieutenant, Moira Niven MBE presented Margaret with a framed birthday card from King Charles.