Happy 100th Birthday Ena!

Ena Vera Stanton nee Olley was born on 8 July 1920, second daughter of Edith and Louis Olley in South Woodford, London.

Ena left school at 14 and took commercial training privately and evening classes to gain RSA Certificates for employment as a shorthand/typist when experienced enough.

Employment in 1934 wasn’t easy to obtain but Ena gained employment in a shop for a year until applying for a new post with the local paper as a “girl Friday”. Following the interview she was engaged for the princely sum of 15 shillings a week, 10 shillings more than the wages earned in the shop! Working for the Senior Secretary to the Managing Director was a hard job but provided very useful experience and eventually Ena became the Senior Secretary and worked for 21 years in that role, part of which was through the Second World War. East London where Ena lived and worked was heavily bombed, flying bombs and rockets bombarded the area day and night. Working for the newspaper during the war years required being a night time Fire Watcher, on a rota, two men and two women would go onto the roof of the building amidst the bombing and keep watch for fires that might affect the building, in hindsight quite a brave role to carry out.

After the war another job opportunity arose as PA to the chairman of a large department store. Ena spent 5 happy years with the store before meeting and marrying Walter (Wally) Stanton and moving to Chislehurst in Kent to live. Eventually Wally’s work brought about a move to Berkshire and then in the early 1980’s to Halton Village.

Life during the 1980’s and 90’s with her husband and sister Doreen in Halton was often busy, with Ena and her sister often helping the local church St Michael’s. Sadly both Wally and Doreen died in 1994 leaving Ena to live alone in her lovely house. In 2019 Ena moved into residential care in Cherry Tree House, Wendover where she is enjoying excellent care and the company of the other residents. The regular activities organised by the care team such as art and craft work is an area Ena has always enjoyed and during her later life she has produced several paintings depicting country life using watercolours. Ena’s main hobbies are singing and amateur dramatics.

Ena celebrated her 100th birthday on 8 July 2020 with a party on the day organised by Cherry Tree House. Hopefully once lockdown is over a further get together will be held with family, old friends and neighbours.