AN elderly hip-shaker who took to the dancefloor to celebrate a milestone birthday says the secret to long life is to have a “just-get-on-with-it attitude.”
Jo Robertson, who has lived at the Kingsgate Care Home, in Carnarvon Road, Clacton, since November 2021, marked her 102nd birthday last month.
The resident commemorated the special day by enjoying ballroom and Latin performances by young entertainers from the Swann School of Dance.
The activity area of the facility was also decorated as a dazzling dancefloor for the occasion, while drinks, nibbles and a birthday cake were also laid on.
Jo’s daughter Jean said: “Jo thoroughly enjoyed the celebrations - she was amazed by all the decorations and the incredible cake.
“Lots of her friends came and she just loved the Swann School of Dance presentation – she had a waltz with young member of the school at the party.”
Jo, who has three surviving children in their seventies, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, was born in Scotland in 1920.
She was brought up in Saltcoats before her family moved to Ilford and then Southend-on-Sea but returned to her homeland during the war.
While working for Inland Revenue, where she helped to instruct staff in the new system of PAYE, she met husband Jimmie at the Naval Training Base.
Together, the pair often danced the night away, and when Jimmy was serving in Liverpool, Jo would often meet him at the famous Grafton Ballroom.
Following Jimmie’s untimely death, Jo met fellow dancer Bill at a college before working as a medical secretary and then as a teacher and lecturer.
In her seventies she made teaching videos for Pitman’s College and wrote books for Medical Secretaries, before becoming secretary for the Conservative Party in Clacton.
“Jo says her secret to a long life is working hard into her seventies at something she enjoyed and having a just-get-on-with-it attitude when life was difficult,” said Jean.
“Up until she was 100 she knitted squares that were made into blankets, scarves and jumpers for refugee children.
“She still loves to have conversations about her childhood in Scotland and has always kept diaries of her life.”
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