Your Stories

When asked how it feels to be 105, Freda Mary Bearne replied: "It's a bit of a bother!

"I’m very happy, I’m very interested in things. I don’t want to die. I know I’m going to but I don’t want to."

Presumably that's because she's led life to the full.

Born in 1903 in Lancashire, Mary, the name she is known by, has dedicated her life to her family - especially the love of her life, her husband.

After meeting at a hunt in Kent when she was 25, the couple soon fell madly in love. They got married in India where Sydney, who served in the Army in the Royal Tank Regiment, was posted.

She has three children

"It was sad (that their families couldn't attend the wedding), but it didn’t seem to matter. I wouldn’t look at anybody else."

In fact the two world wars have played a major part in Mary's life. Her father, who was a doctor, served in World War I while her father-in-law, Lt Col Lance Colin Bearne, was awarded the George Cross for going underneath a burning lorry which was full of ammunition. 

But, it was her husband who experienced the true hell of war as he spent the entire World War II imprisoned by the German Army. Mary had no idea whether Sydney was alive or not.

"At the time Hitler said "murder them all" and they said you can't because of the Geneva Convention so he said "anyone who tries to escape, hit them and murder them,"" said Mary.

As one of 70 captured, Sydney was one of the main soldiers who dug a tunnel to safety. Tragically, he was too broad and tall to go through the tunnel as it was very small and they were worried he'd get stuck so instead he had to stay behind and teach the others colloquial German so that if they got released, they could pass as locals.

The couple were married in India

"They really did endure terrible things there but he wouldn’t talk about it – I heard most of it from other people. They had no food, other than a bowl of cabbage soup once a day; that’s all they gave them," said Mary.

"The Army and Navy weren’t allowed to send food but they were allowed to send cigarettes so that was the devastation because they had nothing to eat, nothing to do. They were shut in this hut and they just smoked and that’s really what started his bad health."

When the war ended the soldiers were released by the British however 50 of the 70 were shot dead. 

"As the Queen said, we must always remember them because it was a terrible time they had so we must never forget them.

"So there we are. I am the last survivor of it all."

'I don't know how we survived'

Mary and Sydney were re-united at Seaton train station in Devon where she was living with her three children, David, Jennifer and Jon.

"Jon is my war baby. He never saw is father until he was five-years-old. When Sydney came back, Jon said get this strange man out of my bed! As Jon used to share a bed with me."

Sydney became an Army recruitment officer where his office was based in Wembley Stadium.

"I never had a job. I just worked very hard with the family. It was very hard work because you had to get on and do things and keep the house and family.

A couple of Mary's beloved dachshunds

"It was ghastly (raising children during the war). We didn't have a home or any money. I don’t know how we survived but we did. I had a hard Army life."

After he retired, they bought a cottage in Rushden, Hertfordshire which was the happiest time of Mary's life.

The couple then devoted their time to Mary's lifelong passion - Daschunds. A breeder for 50 years, Mary was at one point looking after 20 dogs.

"I’ve always had a little dog in my life since I was seven and it grew from that. We got it down to about eight as my husband said I could manage that but no more. They’re all gone now – my last one got run over and it was terrible."

They were even made championship judges by The Kennel Club and visited shows all around the country, often staying in a caravan. Mary's Kennel Club name was Tanglewood.

Sydney passed away in 1978 from a heart attack which Mary believes was a direct result of his smoking during the war.

'Wretched sons'

Mary now lives with her daughter Jennifer in Uphill, Weston-super-Mare where she feeds her pet sea gull Percy a biscuit everyday and grows award-winning roses.

"She’s always been there. I shouldn’t think I’ll live that long!" said Jennifer. "If you live with someone you automatically look after them. She’d hate to be in a nursing home. While she's capable of walking around the home and doing things why put her in a home?"

Mary recently met another famous centenarian - 110-year-old Harry Patch. "He's not very chatty! I shan’t live as long as him I’m afraid."

Mary is quite a character. When the auction programme "Flog It" came to Weston, she was the star. When asked if she was going to attend the auction, Mary replied: "Only if one of my wretched sons would take me!"

Her parents died when they were 84 and 80 respectively and as Mary's an only child, it's hard to tell if it's genetic.

"I have a funny doctor. He laughs with me and says to be out in the air as much as I can to breathe fresh air.

"If I go out, Jennifer pushes me in my pram as we call it and we go down the quarry and various places. I think the fresh air does keep me going. The doctor doesn’t do anything – I just sit here and exist. I just wait to be alive for the next day."

Jennifer said: "It’s a routine. We get up, have breakfast, go for a walk and get the paper, come back and have lunch.

"Mary likes a drink. Wine or sherry at lunchtime, gin and tonic at about six o’clock, and a brandy and hot milk at bedtime. The doctor is happy with that as she’s not on any drugs."

In fact Mary is known to like a drink. For her 100th birthday, in a big red 'This is your life' style book, her great grandson Stephen said he was going to buy her a bottle of gin because hers were always empty.

Adventurous spirit

One lifestyle choice which may have impacted Mary's age is that she has been a devotee of yoga since the 60s, a time when it was not very common. 

"I believe that if people start doing yoga at a young age they’d get on much better in life."

Mary practised it daily until she was in her 90s, although she "can't stand on her head anymore!" 

One thing which does stand out is that Mary has a loving family of three children, six grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

"Mary is the person I would most like to be! She’s been my inspiration for as long as I can remember," said grand-daughter Nicole. "Her adventurous spirit, her love of life and her wit and intelligence showed me from a very early age that women can do pretty much anything that they set their minds to.

"Listening to her stories of her travels, it was Mary who instilled in me a desire to see the world and I ended up spending four years in the former Soviet Union and travelling to many places, including Siberia and Central Asia.  

"She introduced me to yoga, art, flowers and so many of the things that I still love today. She is quite an amazing lady and we all love her dearly."