Celebration time as south Birmingham-born Gladys turns 100 today - The Bromsgrove Standard

Celebration time as south Birmingham-born Gladys turns 100 today

Bromsgrove Editorial 22nd Jul, 2022 Updated: 22nd Jul, 2022   0

THERE will be celebrations today when sprightly Droitwich resident Gladys Pittam (nee Bird) turns 100.

Gladys was born in back-to-backs in Bellbarn Road, Edgbaston, before attending St Thomas’ School, leaving at 14 to work in a factory. King George V was on the throne at the time.

In 1931 she lived in Charlotte Road and saw Gandhi when he visited Birmingham and stayed in a property nearby.




She also lived nextdoor to Crystabel Leighton-Porter, the model for the wartime Daily Mirror comic strip Jane.

She recalls going into her house and said it was full of beautiful mother of pearl furniture.


Gladys married Robert in 1941 at Broad Street registry office, and they lived in Frankley Beeches Road, Northfield, where she remembers during the war, watching Coventry burning from their garden.

Robert joined the army as the war ended, and was sent to Palestine.

The pair went on to have eight children, 22 grandchildren, 30 great grandchildren.

Gladys also worked at Cadburys in Bournville for many years.

She moved to Droitwich in 1969 and has lived in the same house ever since.

They used to have camping holidays and, in the early 1960s, began travelling abroad, sometimes in a trailer tent and others in a campervan. They enjoyed driving around Europe, including Portugal and Switzerland, to North Africa and other destinations.

Robert passed away in 2001 when they had been married for 60 years.

In her 80s, Gladys travelled alone to Tasmania and Australia and took a several-week campervan road trip from the bottom of Australia to the top.

Gladys has seen 24 Prime Ministers come and go and four monarchs take the throne.

She will celebrate her special day at home with family and friends.

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