Born in Edinburgh in 1923, Margaret married English sailor Reg in 1942, after three months of courtship.

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The couple set up home in Dover on the English coast where their first daughter, Sandra, was born.

At the end of the war, the family moved to Coventry in England’s Midlands where they had their second daughter, Heather.

After several moves around the country, the family left for Australia as Ten Pound Poms, sailing on the Fairstar and settling in Adelaide before relocating to Millicent, South Australia.

Family commitments took them back to the UK in 1970 but on retirement Reg and Margaret decided that Australia was the place to be, so they returned in 1987, this time by air.

They settled in Armidale before finally moving to Coffs Harbour in 1991.

After 71 years of marriage, Reg lost his battle with Alzheimer’s in 2013.

Margaret now lives with the support of family and carers.

She enjoys pottering in her garden, doing crosswords and listening to the famous Dutch conductor/musician André Rieu every single night.

“I love music, and André has a fabulous orchestra full of vibrant colours and real music,” she said.

Margaret has over 50 of his music DVDs and a few CDs.

“He keeps me company whilst I’m in bed doing crosswords,” she said.

Daughter Sandy says her mum is very alert and has a memory “as sharp as a tack, putting the rest of us to shame”.

Margaret still goes shopping on her walker and loves to go down to the Jetty for a “sea air blow”.

As Sandy said, “Margaret, ‘Lang may yer lum.”

“[It’s] a saying from her native Scotland translating to ‘long may your chimney smoke’, meaning a wish for a long and healthy life, prosperity, and good fortune.”

Family to Margaret means, two daughters, five grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, seven great-great grandchildren and another two on the way.

By Andrea FERRARI