“To be yourself is the biggest lesson life teaches you.”
This was said by 100-year-old Ella Kennedy, as she reflected warmly on a century shaped by family, freedom, and sheer Scottish grit. Born in the quiet village of Lochwinnoch, Scotland, in February 1926, Kennedy described her childhood as not unlike any other child’s upbringing.

As a little girl you would often find her playing football in the streets in summer and sledging down snowy hills in winter. After attending the local school, she went on to study at Spiers School, before beginning work at the Hillington factory of Rolls-Royce, where she would meet her future husband.

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Her happiest memories? “Summer holidays travelling around Great Britain with my family.” Her father was her greatest influence, instilling in her dignity, respect, and the value of sticking together, especially in hard times.

Kennedy later built a career in computing – something she remains deeply proud of, particularly landing her first role at International Computers Limited. Asked in what moments did she especially feel brave, she thought back to when she was a little girl, and would leap over thin ice while skating on the loch.

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She recognises the heartbreak she experienced, through the sudden passing of her husband, as the greatest change she ever faced. “If it wasn’t for my friends, I wouldn’t be here at this age.”

Today, as a resident of Methodist Homes Rose Village, Montgomery Park, she credits kindness, dressmaking, a bowl of muesli and yoghurt each morning, and a good joke for keeping her joyful. Her advice to younger women? “Be yourself. Don’t strive to be like anyone else.”

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