A great-grandmother has celebrated her 100th birthday with a special singsong from a popular Ayrshire TV star.
Nellie Gilmour, of Temple House Care Home in Mossblown, turned the big 100 on Saturday and welcomed the village’s John McGill- who featured as the Unexpected Star of Michael McIntyre’s Big Christmas Show in 2017 — to sing her a rendition of Happy Birthday.
The Lord lieutenant also popped along to join in the celebrations and presented Nellie with a card from the Queen.
Nellie, the second oldest of five children to trawler fisherman George and wife Nellie Jappy, was born at 39 New Street, Buckie, Banffshire, on August 27, 1922.
She later moved to Aberdeen aged five and, in spite of her lack of confidence, was the only member of her family to move on to Aberdeen Senior Secondary School, which she left at the age of 15.
Between 1943 and 1947 she qualified as an State Registered Nurse (SRN), before becoming a staff nurse and subsequently a ward Sister, responsible for the Eye Department at Aberdeen Infirmary.
In 1947 Nellie and her big sister Jean came to Ayr on holiday, staying at the former Darlington House Hotel on Miller Road — now popular ten-pin bowling alley LA Bowl.
The hotel owners had a son called Billy who helped out during the summer, and who Nellie quickly became friends with.
The pair eventually married in 1950 and had two sons, David and Alistair.
Nellie spent a number of years working at home, looking after her boys and husband, and in the early '70s decided to go back to work helping to look after disabled children.
She then applied for a position as assistant at a new Social Work Day Care Centre for disabled kids and was rather surprised when instead of being offered the assistant’s position she was invited to take on the post of Officer-in-Charge, with the Centre to be opened at Sutherland House in Ayr.
As the Centre grew and changed buildings a few times Nellie continued to fill this role till her retirement in 1979. The Centre eventually became what is now known as Southcraig School in Ayr.
By the following year the first of her grandchildren was born. She eventually had five of them, who have gone on to provide her with twelve great-grandchildren.
In 2015 Nellie was diagnosed with Alzheimers and eventually moved into Temple House in January 2018 where she now resides with her carers and friends.
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