'Inspiring' South Shields care home resident celebrates her 105th birthday

A resident in a South Shields care home is celebrating her 105th birthday today with family, staff and residents.

Peggy Carson who is the oldest resident at Garden Hill Care Home has marked another milestone as she reaches her 105th birthday.

Peggy, was born on 29 December 1918 in Sussex and moved to South Shields as a young girl. She trained as a teacher at St Hilda’s College in Durham.

Her first job was at Laygate Primary School, South Shields, during the Second World War where, after only three-weeks in her new role, she and the children were evacuated to Borrowdale in Cumbria.

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In the early 1950s, Peggy left the UK to work in New Zealand on a teacher’s exchange programme. When she arrived back home she took up a post as a teacher at Monkton Juniors School where she worked her way up to deputy headteacher before taking on the role as head. Peggy also founded the North East and Cumbria Teachers Association supporting exchange teachers and educationalists. She retired from teaching in 1979.

Following her retirement, Peggy married widow Bill Carson, who died in 2002, - a former police chief inspector based at South Shields - after meeting at church.

Peggy became stepmother to his four daughters and later step-grandmother and step-great-grandmother.

The 105-year-old loves getting creative and helped make a royal carriage out of cardboard for the queen's 70th jubilee celebrations last year.

READ MORE: Family complete 19 laps of football ground for Teenage Cancer Trust Stacey Adams, lifestyle coordinator at Garden Hill Care Home said: "I'd say her secret is keeping her mind active by being creative.

"She loves company and talking of her adventures. When she sets her mind to something creative, Peggy has to master it and her determination is inspiring."

Peggy will be celebrating her birthday with a high tea surrounded by her loved ones.