Queen’s Park daughter puts her longevity down to food rationing during the war

A Brent resident celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by family and friends last week.

Joyce Upton enjoyed a party in her honour with family, friends and fellow residents at Kenbrook Care Home in Forty Avenue, Wembley.

The mother-of-two was raised in Kensal Rise and has lived her entire life in the borough apart from a short time during the Blitz evacuation.

Jill Weigall, 65, Summerfield Avenue, Queen’s Park, one of Mrs Upton’s daughters, believes that her mother’s longevity may be down to rationing of certain types of food during her youth.

She said: “My mother is of a war generation and they didn’t have such an abundance of sugary and processed things to eat then.”

Mrs Upton briefly worked as an apprentice for a dress maker and, later on, a saleswoman for the clothing company Jaeger.

She met her husband George who worked for British Gas while on holiday in Jersey, and after she was widowed she moved to Queen’s Park to be near her daughter before moving into Kenbrook.

As well as daughters Carol and Jill, Mrs Upton has two granddaughters and a great-grandson.