Livewire Biddy turns 104

Biddy is one of a record 10 centenarians who currently call Peninsula Village their home Photo: Lisa Haymes

Peninsula Villages resident, Beatrice ‘Biddy’ Abrahams, celebrated her 104th birthday at the Village on February 24.

Biddy is the eldest member of the resident community, closely followed by a further nine centenarians who call the Village home.

To celebrate her milestone birthday, staff organised a big party with fellow residents, birthday cake and balloons.

Biddy shared her love for living at Peninsula Villages and said there were plenty of activities on offer to join in on.

“[It] feels like my own home – the staff and all my fellow residents have become my family, and I couldn’t be happier living here,” Biddy said.

“Sometimes I enjoy socialising with the ladies at a lovely morning tea, and other times I sit and knit or crochet patterns that I have made with my own measurements.”

Biddy is said to, at times, reminisce about her time in the Women’s Land Army – an organisation that was formed during the Second World War to combat rising labour shortages in the farming sector.

Her service commenced in 1941 where she was tasked with riding a bike around the area to various farms and delivering the mail.

However, given that she had never been taught to ride a bike, she found herself a horse and says she enjoyed “being back in the bush”.

She refers to her time in the Women’s Land Army as her life’s biggest achievement.

It was following her service that she married her husband of 50 years, Eric, who passed away a few years ago.

The newlyweds lived near the city where Biddy worked in the David Jones warehouse, before moving to Umina in the early ‘80s where they enjoyed the sea-change.

Peninsula Villages Chief Executive Officer, Shane Neaves, said Biddy’s zest for life and smile are contagious.

“Biddy is definitely one of the big characters here at the Village,” Neaves said.

“Her cheeky antics – as seen on Sunrise with Sam Mac last year – make her one of the Village’s most beloved residents.

“She has a lot of energy and wit hidden behind her 104-year-old façade, and we all know there’s never a dull moment when our delightful young Biddy is around.”

Source:
Media release, Feb 25
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