Former headteacher from Lancaster reaches the grand old age of 100

“I never expected to live to 100 but I’m glad to be alive and share my birthday with friends, neighbours and family,” said Peggy.

Born Dorothy Margaret Round in Heysham in 1923, her father always called her Peggy and the name has stuck for a century.

As James Henry Round was a policeman, the family always lived in police houses and moved around the county, Whalley police house being Peggy’s favourite.

When the investigation into Buck Ruxton was going on in 1935, the Rounds were sharing a house in Morecambe with the policeman leading the inquiries and Peggy remembers a lot of police coming and going from the house at that time.

Peggy’s father was a practical man and made radios for the family and neighbours. “My father would put the wireless on and we would waltz around the room.”

Education began young for Peggy. “My mother taught me to read and I’ll be forever grateful for that. I could read fluently before I went to school,” she said.

Peggy attended St Mary’s RC Primary School in Morecambe and when the family moved to Whalley, she went to Blackburn Convent School.

Her ambition was to be a teacher and she chose to study at a Catholic college in Southampton. “I thought it would be warmer there!”

However, it was wartime and the college was bombed before Peggy arrived so the students were evacuated to Cheltenham.

During the war, American soldiers were stationed in the area and Peggy remembers how smoking was then thought rather glamorous.

“I didn’t like the taste of tobacco but I bought myself a cigarette and lit it but only ever took one puff.”

After completing her teacher training, Peggy’s first job was at St Joseph’s RC Primary School in Skerton. Eventually, she would become a headteacher twice, including at Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School in Carnforth.

Peggy also spent about 11 years teaching in Kirkby, where many Liverpudlians moved after the war. At one point, she was the only qualified teacher at the school and responsible for 400 infants.

During her career, she wasn’t backwards in coming forwards when she found out some male teachers were on higher salaries than some women teachers with more responsibilities. She brought the issue up with her union and soon received equal pay.

When Peggy’s father became ill with cancer she helped her mum to care for him until he died. She also looked after her mum who lived until she was 90.

Peggy has now outlived her mother in age by a decade even though chocolate pudding is among her favourite foods. No doubt it will be among the special treats when she celebrates her milestone birthday with friends and family.

Some headline news from 1923, the year Peggy was born

The Duke of York married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. They later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

It was the year of two Prime Ministers after Conservative Bonar Law resigned due to ill health and was succeeded by fellow Tory, Stanley Baldwin.

The Empire Stadium at Wembley opened.

The BBC broadcasted the chimes of Big Ben for the first time on New Year’s Eve.