Mary Davidson Smith has celebrated her 105th birthday in style by receiving 105 birthday cards from around the world. The centenarian, who lives at Care UK's Murrayside care home in Edinburgh, said she had a “wonderful time” reading the cards, which arrived after an appeal by the home.
Cards came from as far away as Singapore when she marked her birthday earlier in July. Ms Smith also received a card from the King, making her one of the very few people to receive a card from both Charles and the late Queen Elizabeth.
Family celebrations and afternoon tea
She celebrated her birthday with a “wonderful family day” and enjoyed afternoon tea with her friends at Murrayside care home. The meal was prepared by the home's chef Jose. Upon seeing her birthday meal, Ms Smith joked: “I’m glad you didn’t have 105 candles; I don’t have enough breath for that!”
Born in Korea, Mary lived all over the world during her youth, including stints in England, Canada and the US. She later joined the Royal Navy and met her future husband, British Army officer Charles Wynard Davidson Smith, while posted in Washington DC. They went on to live in Edinburgh where they raised two sons, Neil and Mark, and Ms Smith now has four grandchildren.
Plans for 106th birthday
Ms Smith has already made plans for her 106th birthday and hopes to celebrate with a “good strong whisky”, she told the Press Association. Remarking on her birthday cards, she said: “This is incredible! I’ve never seen so many cards, and they’re all for me.”
Asked for her secret to a long and happy life, she said: “I enjoy it – keep on going.” She also said she came from a “long line of others that have lived long lives”.
Reunion with childhood outfit
The care home resident was recently reunited with a special Korean outfit she wore as a young girl almost 100 years ago. During a special tour of the National Museum of Scotland, officials took her on a private tour of the gallery and reunited her with the outfit. Comprising a hat, bag and a wraparound jacket – known as a chimageogori – the outfit was described as a charming example of traditional Korean dress, or hanbok.
Suzanne Welsh, home manager at Murrayside care home, said: “It was a real joy to celebrate Mary’s 105th birthday. She is a much-loved resident who always has so many wonderful stories to share about her remarkable life. Mary is a huge part of the Murrayside family and is always keen to participate, whether it’s getting outdoors, church activities or quizzes. She also enjoys joining in with the singing sessions and meeting up with friends at coffee mornings. At Murrayside, we are committed to ensuring that residents continue to lead fulfilling and exciting lives. The team are super pleased to have reached our target of 105 cards – Mary was overjoyed to have received so much love and well wishes from people all over the world. Cheers to Mary!”
