Five generations of family celebrate Muriel’s 100th birthday at Highcliffe Nursing Home

Muriel Razey celebrated her 100th birthday with five generations of her family and the residents and staff of Highcliffe Nursing Home where she lives.

Around 20 family members attended her party on Tuesday, April 28 and sang a chorus of Happy Birthday with residents and staff at the Kingsley Healthcare home in Stuart Road, Highcliffe. Son Philip paid tribute to his mother in a speech.

Muriel was born on 28th April 1926 in a military hospital in Devonport after her mother and father disembarked from a ship returning from Germany where they had both worked in the British Army.

The family lived in Aldershot, Hampshire, until Muriel’s father was posted to Jamaica. They spent over three years there, returning to England with her little brother.

When Muriel was nine her father sadly died while serving in the Middle East and the family moved to Wendover, in Buckinghamshire, where her mother’s family lived.

Muriel proudly recalls that the teacher at her village school was so impressed with her English that he had her teaching reading and writing to other pupils, hence her love of writing, reading and crosswords.

On leaving school, she did a housekeeping job while she went to night school to learn shorthand and typing, attaining 120 plus words per minute on an old-style typewriter.

This allowed her to secure a job at Dominium Dairies in Aylesbury as secretary and wages clerk, riding a bike to work every day. During the Second World War she worked for the war office.

In 1950 she married a local village lad Norman; he was a carpenter and joiner and part time fireman and became full time fireman by the time their first son Nicholas was born in 1952.

At this time, she had a pet corgi that used to guard Nicholas in his pram when out and about. She later had a budgie that she taught to recite nursery rhymes and names and addresses! Her second son Philip was born in 1958. 

From 1950 she was a dedicated housewife and supported other family members, especially her mother.

After Philip went to school, she took a part-time job processing and packing orders for a local supermarket in the village.  

By the late 1960s she unfortunately was diagnosed with glaucoma and in 1979 she suffered a detached retina, subsequently losing sight in one eye.

In 1974 her granddaughter Kristina was born in Germany while Nicholas was serving in the army. Her daughter in law was struggling on her own as Nicholas was sent on manoeuvres for three weeks, so Muriel and Norman scraped together enough money for her to go and help out - quite an undertaking travelling on her own by train and boat!

Muriel's husband retired in 1989 which meant they both enjoyed time together to go places although mostly they continued to help family where possible. 

In 1998 after living in the same village for over 63 years Muriel and Norman came down to Dorset to be nearer their son Philip and his wife Pauline.

Muriel although partially sighted continued to enjoy walking and doing crosswords although by now she had to get Norman to read the clues and write the answers in.

Sadly 12 years ago she lost Norman after 64 years together and had to move in with Philip and Pauline, bringing Phoebe her cat with her.

With further disabilities in recent years, she needed greater care and moved into Highcliffe Nursing Home.

Muriel says it is her “strong constitution” that has allowed her to live to 100.