15 hours ago
100th birthday celebrations for Ashgill resident Margaret
Margaret Harrower, who served as a Land Girl during World War II, was joined by family and special guests on her special occasion
Birthday girl Margaret Harrower had a celebration fit for a centenarian as she marked her 100th birthday with a royal seal of approval.
The resident at Ashlea Court care home in Ashgill received a card from King Charles and Queen Camilla to mark her extra-special birthday, along with commemorative gifts from two namesakes – deputy lord lieutenant of Lanarkshire Margaret Morton and South Lanarkshire provost Margaret Cooper.
Described by family and care home staff as 'a remarkable woman', great-grandmother Margaret served as a Land Girl during World War II and proudly showed her service medal on her birthday; and shared her advice to 'enjoy life and make the most of what you have'.
The youngest of five children, Margaret was born in Cowdenbeath on May 30 1925. She loved music from a young age, teaching herself to play the accordion aged 12 and going on to play at local functions, weddings and even for friends at Girls' Camp in the 1930s.
She was 14 when World War II broke out; and after initially working in and at a local paint shop until she was old enough to help with the war effort, set off from her Fife home intending to sign up to be a WREN – only to meet her friend on the way, with both deciding en route to become Land Girls instead.
Margaret calls the experience 'hard work, but one of the most enjoyable times of [her] life'; and was later awarded the land army service medal in 2008 which she continues to wear with great pride on Remembrance Sunday.
After the war, she worked as a conductress for W Alexander, with has fond memories of her time on the buses 'and the characters she met'; and later worked as a cashier for the company, retiring on her 60th birthday in 1985.
Margaret married in 1948 and welcomed daughter Rita the following year. She continued to live in Cowdenbeath until the age of 95, when she moved in with Rita and son-in-law lan in the South Lanarkshire village of Auchenheath – and continued to help around the house.
She is a proud gran to Valerie and husband Gordon, Scott and partner Lynne, and great-grandmother Jack and Nikki, plus family dog Flynn.
Margaret moved in to Ashlea Court in September 2023, where staff describe the 100-year-old as 'a remarkable woman who can make you smile and usually laugh at her antics every day'.
She was joined to celebrate her special birthday by her loving family, who made a showcase of photos, as well as fellow residents, staff and her namesake special visitors, with the depute lord lieutenant presenting a card and certificate from the King and Queen to mark the occasion, while Provost Cooper presented her with flowers and a certificate from South Lanarkshire.
