Mrs Nathalie Lewis: Celebrating her 102nd birthday

A LADY born when the First World War was at its height has celebrated her 102nd birthday.

Mrs Nathalie Lewis is a resident at Hollyland Lodge care home on Holyland Road in Pembroke.

She was born in Pwll, near Llanelli, and on the eve of last Sunday’s birthday celebrations (Jun 25) with her family, she was visited by Pembrokeshire County Council Chairman, Councillor Paul Harries.

He presented Mrs Lewis with a bouquet of flowers to mark the occasion.

A widow for the past 16 years, Mrs Lewis has two sons – Barrie who lives in Pembroke and Wyn of Llanelli – and six grandchildren.

On her birthday she spent the day with Barrie and daughter-in-law, Yvonne, and their family.

The Chairman brought with him copies of some cuttings from the newspapers published at the time of Mrs Lewis’s birth 102 years ago.

Most papers were dominated by news of The Great War raging at the time but there was some lighter news-reporting in the local journals.

For instance the ‘Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph and General Weekly Reporter for the County of Pembroke’ recorded that an escaped goat in Neyland tried to butt passers-by.

After some soldiers – presumably home on leave – made ‘ineffective efforts’ to secure the animal, it was finally captured by ‘a diminutive youth’ who tied it up.

Elsewhere in the paper it reported that there was a proposal to buy the school nurse a ‘light motor car’ as she was currently using a push-bike to cycle between Maenclochog and Haverfordwest.

The story went on to say that it was ‘not honourable’ to see strong men in motor cars while ladies were on push-bikes. A suggestion of giving her a pony and trap was not considered as it was seen to be ‘out of date.’