Causeway Archers

Members of the Causeway Archers prepare to fire arrows at a beacon on the Harbour Hill, Portstewart, lighting it to mark the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II.

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Martha.

This is Martha Watson, pictured here joking with a reporter and her son, Shaun. She’ll be celebrating her 100th birthday next weekend. What a joy to meet such a lovely lady. She told me that apart from a bit of trouble with her ears and her eyes, she’s doing well.

Her family have organised a party for her in a local hotel, but because a number of family members refuse to drink alcohol on a Sunday, the party will be on the Saturday before instead. “that’s not my birthday” she says, “no point in having a party when you’re 99”

Martha used to sit everyday, looking out the window to the graveyard where her sisters are buried, and asking why she couldn’t just be with them. Trees have since grown and blocked her view, so she watches TV now instead.

“Young people these days don’t understand what it means to live in hard times”  “My husband couldn’t get steady work… I sent him out one day to get some mince from the butchers, and he didn’t come back for 2 hours” “the next day the letter arrived, and I knew he had enlisted for the army, he left that week. I was so hyper that i almost burned the house down cooking the dinner”