Irene Taylor: One of New Forest's longest lived residents dies aged 107

One of the New Forest’s oldest residents Irene Taylor has died at the age of 107 after suffering a fall at home.

Describing the well-known New Milton resident as a “complete one-off”, daughters Valerie Baker and Barbara Taylor told the A&T: “Mum was very independent.

"She only recently started having a carer stay the whole night with her. Before that she was happily living on her own, with carers coming in twice a day.

“When the carer arrived to stay with her overnight, she told the neighbours, ‘She’s only here because she’s got nowhere else to live’. She didn’t want them to think she needed anyone.

“Mum had a good sense of humour and liked nothing better than a good laugh.

“She enjoyed a tipple a day of her favourite Harvey’s Bristol Cream sherry and was bright as a button.

“Until recently, she was still going for a regular hair-do at Roger Murray in New Milton.”

Irene, who was born in Fulham, London, in January 1912, fell over in the kitchen of her home while her carer was out shopping earlier this month.

Valerie said: “She had an alarm call button which she activated. They contacted me and I was at mum’s in minutes.

“I found her with her leg all covered in blood. She was taken to hospital where it was found she had broken her hip.

“Both my sister and I, together with the doctors, felt it was not right to put her through an operation at her age. They warned us she probably would not make it through the op. All mum kept telling us was, ‘Let me go’.

“She didn’t want a cannula put in. In fact she nearly strangled the poor nurse who was trying!

"Mum was given strong painkillers and died in the early hours a few days later. It’s sad because before the fall she was fine.”

Irene was a lifelong member of the Conservative party and was very well known at the New Milton branch, where she celebrated her 100th birthday. Until she was no longer able to play, she was also a keen member of the local community hall’s carpet bowls team.

The eldest of four sisters and a brother, Irene married Leslie Taylor in 1934 when she was 22, and they made their home in Bromley, Kent. At one time Irene was president of the Bromley Chamber of Commerce.

Leslie was an automotive electrician while Irene became an Exide battery sales agent. The couple divorced in 1965 but Irene continued alone in the business world, rising to become the boss of a mainly male department.

Her daughter Barbara, who lives in Croydon, said: “She was way ahead of her time really, as most women were housewives.

“Mum loved working and she was a very good businesswoman who loved being a woman in a man’s world. She would always speak her mind, even if she went for a walk up New Milton High Street and saw something wrong in a shop window, or on a sign, she’d go and tell the owner.

“She could be very outspoken and one of her favourite sayings was, ‘There’s no smoke without fire’.

“Everyone in New Milton knew her, she loved going shopping and chatting to everyone. The conservative club was like her second home. She was a true blue, she had a wine bottle signed by Theresa May and another by David Cameron. But she didn’t like Boris much!”

Irene moved to New Milton 34 years ago from Iford, where she was chairman of the Bournemouth branch of the British Heart Foundation. One of her proudest moments was going to a Buckingham Palace garden party in 1973 as a thank you for her work for the charity.

Valerie said: “She raised an awful lot of money for the hospital, and at the age of 80 was still volunteering as a tea trolley lady at Christchurch Hospital.

“I used to host an afternoon tea session for pensioners and mum liked to show off that she was older than all of them. She’d ask someone how old they were then say, ‘I’m much older than you!’, before dancing round the room.

“She was funny. She had a wonderful life, she had travelled all over the world including to the Middle East. She only gave up work in 1971 because she couldn’t handle decimalisation.”

Among Irene’s great loves were Brussel sprouts and fish and chips. She celebrated her 107th birthday earlier this year by going to her favourite pub The Ferryman, in Lymington, where she tucked into a huge portion.

Valerie revealed: “On her 105th birthday mum decided she wanted to celebrate with a knickerbocker glory, and we tried everywhere to find one.

“Finally, The Six Bells Wetherspoon pub in Lymington said they would make one specially. The chef presented it to her and he had even written ‘Happy Birthday’ in chocolate on the plate. Mum ate every bit!”

In her younger days Irene was extremely fond of ballroom dancing and her mini car, although Barbara said: “She never took it out of second gear; she was a terrible driver. I remember being on the motorway with her and I was so scared I demanded she pull over and stop. That was the last time I was allowed in the mini.”

Irene, who had three grandsons and five great-grandchildren, is survived by her brother Les (89), who lives on the Isle of Wight.

Her funeral is being held at Hinton Woodland Burial ground on 23rd August, with everyone welcome at the service.

Valerie said: “Mum didn’t want it to be a sad occasion. She has had a bottle of Johnny Walker whisky stowed away for about the last 30 years with the strict instructions that it was to be drunk at her funeral – so it will be.”

Barbara added: “It’s very hard to believe she has gone. She was so full of life, so fiercely independent and still enjoying seeing her two good friends, Sylvia Henry and Jean Jenkins, for a cup of tea and gossip.

"She was quite a remarkable woman and mother.”