Scarborough woman who survived being bombed twice celebrates her 100th birthday

Born Ena May Cappleman on May 22 1924, to Annie Mary Cappleman & George Cappleman, Mrs Williamson grew up on Castlegate and attended Friarage School.

She lived in Scarborough throughout her life, including at York House on Queens Terrace which was bombed on March 18, 1941, killing her father and brother Arthur, 19, instantly.

Mrs Williamson recounted the details of the terrible night, explaining that fate had a hand in how she had survived the bombing.

Her uncle, visiting from London, had taken her mother to the local cinema when the bomb dropped.

She said: “It was a miracle that my mum wasn’t killed too.

“Mum didn’t like going to the pictures and it was after a lot of persuasion that she relented and was taken to the Odeon to see Deanna Durbin in a film.

“My friend and I used to stay in on Tuesdays to wash our hair and have a nice bath – at York House we had the luxury of a large bathroom – but at the last minute my friend called for me and said we had been invited by two soldiers whom we knew to go to the Odeon too, so at 7pm off we went, but my mum and everyone thought we were still in the house and people were digging for us too.

“I never thought my Mum would get over all this, we moved into York House after being bombed out the previous October when we lived in Castlegate, so my poor mum lost two homes and had to start from scratch.

“It was with God’s help that she pulled through and lived until 1966.

“Looking back God had protected my mother right through.”

Mrs Williamson joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) and became a projectionist, cutting and splicing films for the war office.

She raised six children (all girls) and now has five grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

One notable achievement was that she passed her driving test at the age of 70.

Daughter Gill Arkwell said: “She has a strong Christian faith and attended Scarborough Christian Fellowship, .

“She remains as cheerful as possible at the age of 100.”