Isabella Lawson's special 100th birthday party in Bo'ness Care Home

An emotional Isabella, who is known to many as Belle or Bella, hadn’t seen some of her well-wishers for a considerable time and loved catching up at the party in Bo’ness Care Home in Bridgeness Lane where she has been living for the last two months.

Son Iain Paterson, who had travelled from his home in the south of England said his mum had a wonderful time and thanked everyone, including the care home staff for all their efforts to make it such a special occasion.

Bella was born on June 22, 1923 in the south side of Glasgow, the first child of James Mason and his wife Isabella. Another daughter, Jean, who is now sadly deceased, followed and the girls attended Scotland Street School before starting work.

It was while working as a Glasgow Police call handler that Bella met her first husband, John Paterson, a police officer who she got talking to while making her regular calls to the landmark blue police boxes that were dotted around the city at that time.

After their marriage she had other jobs, including a spell with Cow & Gate. However, the couple later separated and some time after Bella married Johnny Lawson and the couple moved to the West Midlands where over a period of time they were publicans, running two pubs, The Junction Inn and the Raven Inn.

In the late 1980s Bella secured a job as a catering manager with the Commercial Cater Group and the couple moved back north, settling in Pennelton Place, Bo’ness.

Iain said: “Johnny had family in the east coast so I think the job and the Scottish Special Housing Association home was what brought them to Bo’ness. They had no connections with the town before then but very much enjoyed their life here.”

He added that his mum enjoyed country dancing but her real talents and what took up much of her free time was knitting and sewing at which she was very skilful. “Her mother was an accomplished seamstress and knitter and I think the skills were passed to my mum. Although I think in these days, people had to be good at that sort of thing,” said Iain.

Bella, who also has a daughter Kay, and three grandsons, a granddaughter and three great-grandson, the youngest only five weeks old, is the longest living person on the Mason side of the family.

Iain added: “I’ve been researching our family tree and although my father lived till he was 92, there has never been a 100-year-old on mum’s side. I don’t know what her secret is but she certainly enjoyed her landmark day. The party was a joint effort between myself and the care home, particularly Mary Jane Keenan, the activities coordinator, and I’d like to thank everyone for coming along and making her day so special.”