Beryl’s birthday brings leap year longevity

As Beryl Drew will tell you, she’s much younger than you may think.

In fact, this year will mark only the 24^th time her birthday has rolled around since was born in Sydney on 29 February 1928.

Of course, that hasn’t stopped her celebrating every year for the past 92 years. In non-leap years she celebrates on the 1^st March.

“People always have my birthday as different dates, and I don’t correct them!” she said.

A glamourous gal, Beryl has always taken care of her appearance with glamorous shoes and immaculate hair and clothing - a labour of love made both easier and harder by growing up with six sisters and two brothers in Leeton, NSW.

“As a little girl I loved heels and wanted to wear them – but my mother wouldn’t let me. My older sisters wore them though, and I used to go and get the ones they had – I’d always take the prettiest ones.”

She has continued to maintain her high standards of personal grooming since moving to Bolton Clarke’s Fernhill residential aged care community and is a regular client of the on-site hairdresser.

“I’m very happy today. I’ve just had my hair done and it looks lovely!” she said, fresh from her appointment ahead of her birthday party this week.

With the influence of a big family, Beryl still enjoys a party, sharing stories and jokes with her friends.

“When I was young, I would go out with my sisters when they went out, and then with my girlfriends when I was older.”

Hospitality has always been a part of her life and she worked in hotel kitchens, eventually taking the role of breakfast, and then dinner cook.

She has also always loved to walk – not forgetting to stop and pick flowers on the way home.

Beryl has two children, Lyn and Graham, and it was being closer to them that motivated her to move to Queensland.

She will celebrate her birthday on Saturday 29^th surrounded by family and friends.