Marie Stothard was born in Hull in 1926, one of 13 children to George and Gertrude Richardson
Hull WWII veteran and former pub landlady Marie Stothard celebrates her 100th birthday(Image: Donna Clifford/Hull Live)
A WWII veteran and former pub landlady has turned 100 in her Hull care home, celebrating with two birthday cakes. Marie Stothard received her letter from the King and Queen to mark her centenary birthday.
Marie reminisced about her upbringing in Hull, her work as a cook and cleaner at many Hull institutions – including The Hull Daily Mail office – and her time as a landlady at pubs around the city. She was born on 28 October 1926 to George and Gertrude Richardson.
The couple, who lived on Belmont Street, had thirteen children and Marie was the fifth. One day, as a young woman, she was walking in Hull city centre when an army recruiter stopped her.
Marie signed up and became a cook, working at a base in Leicester for more than three years. She said she made wonderful friends in the army, only coming back to Hull after she was demobbed.
Marie said: “One day I was in the town and I don’t know why but there was a recruitment officer. I earned three and six a week in the army. I was a cook and did my training in Melton Mowbray.
“My first posting was in Leicester and five or six of us lived in this big private house. We had a someone looking after us to make sure we behaved. I was there most of the time at Leicester. I loved it. I didn’t at first but after a while you made friends.”
Marie went on to work as a cleaner at The Hull Daily Mail office, then moved on to work as a cook at Hedon Road Maternity Hospital, which closed in 2003 when its maternity services were moved to Hull Royal Infirmary. She met her husband, Ron, at a dance at East Hull Baths.
The couple married and had two sons, Phil and Peter. The pair went on to become landlords at several Hull pubs, many of which no longer exist. They had The Commercial, which was in Hull old town, before moving on to the Elephant and Castle, and Blue Heaven. She said she “made a lot of good friends” through her work on the pub scene.
Marie now lives in Wilton Lodge care home on Holderness Road, where she enjoys reading Catherine Cookson novels. She celebrated her 100th birthday on Wednesday with her two cakes and lots of well wishes.
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