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Eva hails from Shap in Cumbria. “Back then it was called ‘Westmorland and Cumberland’. “Today it’s called Cumbria, the Lake District,” she recalled.
In search of a Better Life
Eva recalls the contrasts of her childhood and adult life. Her father moved to provide better opportunities for her. “We moved down to Darwen (Lancashire) and I attended a business school in Blackburn. There, I studied shorthand, typing, and typing.” She shared. “I was employed in the education department until 1947, when I got married.”
Eva dedicated her life to raising her daughters, Yolanda and Yvonne. She became a grandmother to five grandchildren and great-grandmother of another five.
The move to Spain happened much later in the life. Eva explains that Jonty asked her if she would like to live in Marbella at 86. “I was a widow from 1981. When I turned 86, Jonty’s grandson asked me if I wanted to come here to Marbella,” Eva said. “Normally I can’t make my mind up about these things, but on this occasion, I just said, ‘Why not?'” Eva was familiar with the Costa del Sol, having visited it every year. She smiles as she looks up: “I believe someone was directing my path.”
Credit: EWN
Costa del Sol: Life on the Costa del Sol
“I’ve made lots of friends here, but not a lot of Spanish ones—mostly Irish, Danish, Swedish, and Swiss,” she says. It is not uncommon for Spanish residents to prefer speaking English. Eva did her best to pick up the local language. “I tried to get my words together, Jonty would record it for me,” says Eva. “But when I went into any shop they always spoke English. Since years, I’ve been unable to pronounce this shopping centre. What is it? La Cañada.” Eva loves Mercadona like many other expats. However, she also joins the chorus that complains about the store’s “always changing things, so you need to go through every aisle to find tea and sugar.”
Celebrate the joyous occasion
30 family members and friends gathered to wish Eva happy 100th Birthday and toast to many more. Paul, Jonty Becky (Eva’s eldest granddaughter, Becky) and Martin, Eva’s grandson, came from England to celebrate the special day and show their love.
Credit: EWN
