Angus woman Elizabeth Adams who is well known for her work with Carnoustie Brownies and the Red Cross has celebrated her 100th birthday.
Elizabeth marked the special milestone with family and friends at a celebration at Carnoustie Golf Hotel on Friday afternoon.
She was joined at her party by her two daughters Leslie, 76, and Fiona, 65, with their husbands Leif and Peter.
Also attending were her grandchildren Heidi, Liesl, Catriona and Senga and great grandchildren Nicklas, Lex and Seb.
Her other two great grandchildren, Gavyn and Olivia, were unable to attend.
Elizabeth Nowill, or Liz as she is known locally, was born in Sheffield on January 20, 1923.
She has one younger brother, John, who turned 98 on January 11.
Enlisting with the Wrens in WWII
When the Second World War broke out in 1939, Elizabeth enlisted with the Women’s Royal Naval Service, known as the Wrens.
Her daughter Fiona said: “Her war work was ciphering and she was based in Crail for a while before being sent to Alexandria, Greece.
“There she had the time of her life and met her future husband, Gavin Adams from Carnoustie.”
Gavin was serving in the armed forces in the 6th Rajputana Rifles, Indian Army.
Fiona continued: “Our father always used to joke that he had won our mother in a raffle.
“He had in fact won a raffle ticket to a dance in Alexandria and that’s when he met her.”
Elizabeth was later sent to Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, in India where she became an officer until the end of the war.
She and Gavin married in Sheffield on March 14, 1945 and moved to Carnoustie.
Carnoustie Brownies
Elizabeth founded 3rd Carnoustie Brownies in 1962 and this became her main interest.
She was the Brown Owl (leader in charge) from then until her retirement 25 years later.
Fiona said: “Elizabeth took her pack on many adventures including meeting the then future King Charles, spending a few days in London and having afternoon tea in one of the more prestigious hotels.”
It is also believed she won a prize with the long running BBC programme Gardeners’ World and met the team.
Her pack was one of the few which went on two night sleepovers at Ladenford.
Elizabeth also entered the brownies in the Arbroath music festival which they won on many occasions, organised summer day trips and supported the local panto every year.
Elizabeth given Citizen of the Year award
Fiona said her mother was rewarded with the Carnoustie Citizen of the Year Award in 1986.
She said: “Most likely she was given this award because of her Red Cross work, meals-on-wheels and the brownies.
“She was well known for collecting for the Red Cross and taking part in all Carnoustie flower shows.
“My mother also did a lot of work for maintaining Rebecca Cottage in West Haven which was a holiday cottage for spina bifida patients.”
Fiona said her mother was also a member of the Panbride Church Choir, the Carnoustie Choir and the Forfar choir.
She also enjoyed country dancing, fencing and other keep-fit activities.
After her Gavin passed away in 2002 Elizabeth did a lot of travelling.
She visited her two daughters – Leslie, who lives in Denmark – and Fiona, who stays in the Netherlands.
Elizabeth’s passion for gardening and keeping fit
In her 80s, she visited New Zealand and Canada with Arno (Association of Royal Navy Officers) and at the age of 93 she visited India with her daughter Fiona.
Fiona added: “As a family we believe that her secret to long life has been her passion for gardening and keeping fit.”
Conversation