Connie’s story
Constance (Connie) Ireland, 103, lives at Connaught Court in York. She moved to the Home in 2017.
Connie’s background
Connie was born 6th September 1921 in Luton, the only child of George (a painter and decorator) and Edith (nursemaid to a family and later a school dinner lady).
Although they lived in the town, many of her relatives had jobs in farming, her grandfather was a shepherd and her grandmother and some of her aunts were straw plaiters for the local hat industry.
At 14 years old, Connie left school to become and apprentice in ladies fashion working in a family run department store in Luton. Apprentices were not allowed to serve customers and one of the first things she had to do was to tidy the clothes on display and comb the collars. She returned to ladies fashion jobs throughout her life retiring in her early 60’s.
Wartime Service
When Connie was twenty, she went to the Local Electricity Board as a general clerk, and when WW2 broke out, she was initially classed as in a reserved occupation.
Connie was engaged to be married to a childhood sweetheart and with her wedding dress ready in the wardrobe, she received news that he was ‘missing in action’ when his RAF aircraft didn’t reach its destination. She was devastated and broken hearted, but had to be resilient as the war was still happening
In 1942, Connie was called up into the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service), and worked as an administrative clerk in the stores department issuing rations and other supplies to the troops.
Falling in love
Connie met her husband when they were both stationed at Longmoor Camp in Hampshire. The conductor of the choral society was rehearsing the chorus for a production of “Merry England” by Edward German and needed someone to sing in the cues for the part of Raleigh.
Looking back, Connie recalls:
At one point Raleigh enters singing, “My heart is plighted to this gentle maid, in secret I have paid my past addresses”. The gentle maid in question is Bessie Throgmorton, the heroine, and she was sung by what he thought was a rather good looking ATS girl who, at the interval, came across and asked if he would like a “cup of tea and a bun Sir?”
I was playing the role of Bessie and there began a relationship that never looked back. As my son said ‘not a bad chat up line’. We married in 1948 and spent our honeymoon at Brixham in Devon.
They settled in Hull and had two children, before moving to Plymouth in 1972. Connie worked successfully in local boutique fashion stores, putting to use her experience and knowledge.
In June 2017, Connie sadly lost Antony, just before their 69th wedding anniversary. She moved back to Yorkshire to be closer to her family and moved to Connaught Court in October 2017.
‘Music has kept me going’
Music has always been a very big part of life’s pleasures for Connie. As a child she started singing, and it was through music that she met her husband, during WW2. Connie continued singing throughout her life, which she feels has been good for her overall health and fitness. This includes participating in large choirs, madrigal groups, solo and festival works.
She says:
I believe the physical act of singing, with posture, breath control and stamina have contributed to my longevity.
I loved dancing, enjoying the dance bands of the 1930’s and 40’s and needing to walk or cycle to get around day to day as we didn’t have a car until the 1960’s, and some gentle keep fit classes when I was in my 80’s and early 90’s, but I never did any specific sport.
Connie and Antony, along with close friends, formed the Parkland Quartet performing many concerts across North and East Yorkshire and undertaking some BBC radio broadcasts. She continues to enjoy classical and big band music, singing activities in the Home, as well as going to the theatre, concerts and to the coast.
Secret to a long and happy happy life
Connie believes in good health, emotional resilience is key to living a long life.
She says:
You have to actively go out to find and embrace opportunities, you can’t sit at home and wait for life to come to you. It is important to find something you are passionate about, and work hard. That might turn into the type of job you end up doing or even the life partner you find.
Her advice to future generations is:
Don’t be afraid of trying new things, it you don’t try, you don’t know what things you can achieve. If there’s a chance for me to go on a fast speed boat, I wouldn’t mind having a go!