Windermere woman dances her way to 100 (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Windermere woman dances her way to 100

11:42am Wednesday 26th September 2012 in News By Allan Tunningley

A LIFELONG Lakes resident has celebrated her 100th birthday with a spot of dancing.

Mabel Walker, who lives at Windermere and was once a keen ballroom dancer, requested dance music at a party to celebrate her centenary.

She was born at The Knoll, Lakeside, on September 20, 1912, where her father,William Kellett, was a boat builder and the family had a shop.

In 1937, she married William (Bill) McGarr, who later became captain of the Windermere Lake Steamer Teal. The couple had three children.

Mr McGarr died in 1976 and 11 years later she married John Walker, who had farmed at Cunsey.

For many years she was an enthusiastic whist player and active in the Finsthwaite and Staveley WI and played piano for The Dinky Dots schoolchildren’s dancing troupe.