110 Not Out - Eileen celebrates at St John's House
Norfolk's oldest person has celebrated her 110th birthday at St John's House in Norwich
Norfolk’s oldest person and former England cricketer Eileen Ash has celebrated her 110th birthday at St John’s House care home in Norwich.
As you’d expect for a 110-year-old, Eileen has a long history of achievements. She played international cricket for England between 1937 and 1949 and is an honorary life member of the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club), having been rewarded with this honour in 2011 when she celebrated her 100th birthday. In 2017, aged 105, she was invited to ring the bell at the Lord’s cricket ground to mark the start of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. She returned to Lord’s in 2019 when her portrait was unveiled to mark her achievement as the oldest living international cricketer.
Eileen worked for MI6 during World War 2 and then continued to work with them for a further 11 years. She and her husband moved to Norwich to retire, and took up golf, finally stopping playing at the age of 98.
But her exploits were far from over, as she passed her driving test at the age of 105, a feat covered on the ITV reality show 100-Year-Old Driving School - https://fb.watch/8TDobklnyl/. Then to mark her 106th birthday, she was taken for a flight in a Tiger Moth plane. In November 2018, she opened the Eileen Ash Sports Hall, named in her honour at The Hewett Academy in Norwich.
Eileen received her first dose of the Covid vaccinations in December 2020 at the age 109, with the second dose in January 2021. She received the booster on Thursday 28th October 2021.
She recently moved to St John's House luxury care home on Heigham Road in Norwich following a short spell in hospital.
Cards and gifts arrived at the home for Eileen from all over the world including from the Hewett Academy, where the Eileen Ash Sports Hall was named in her honour. Cards and well wishes also flooded in from the pupils at Jane Austen college, the Norfolk Cricket Board, Aviva and of course from her friends & family. A personal homemade post box has been made for all her birthday cards.
Eileen spent her birthday at the home and was visited by her close friends and family who all provided negative lateral flow test results before entering the home. The Wellbeing team at the home made Eileen’s birthday extra special with a handmade personalised cricket bat for her, a professional portrait from Wellbeing Photography and personalised decorations. Her over-riding wish was for her family to join her on her special day and of course for a glass or two of her favourite red wine to flow!
There was even a special surprise visit when her famous yellow mini arrived at the home, which Eileen joyfully recognised with a thumbs up and she had a reminiscent ride around the car park!
Eileen was asked about her day and how she felt about being 110 years old. She replied: “It’s absolutely amazing. I’ve been so lucky in my life and have done some lovely things. I’ve been very close to my family and have been very lucky to have been healthy for so long.”
She was asked whether she has a secret for living so long, to which she replied with a twinkle in her eye: “Being happy and smiling a lot, red wine, and keeping fit with yoga!”
A spokesperson for Castlemeadow care described Eileen as “an extraordinary lady”.
They said “Eileen is such an extraordinary lady who has had a remarkable life. We are incredibly humbled that she chose to live at St John’s House, where she has settled well. We wanted to celebrate her birthday according to her wishes, and we also wanted to surprise her a little, and the kindness and generosity of so many people is really lovely.”