A WOMAN still fascinated by the past celebrated her 100th birthday yesterday.
Retired headmistress Queenie Ward loves history, particularly local history, and at the age of 85, wrote a book about explorer Captain James Cook.
Middlesbrough Council - Mayor Ray Mallon visited the centenarian yesterday - says the widow's book, The Heart of Captain Cook Country, is still much sought after as source material for local schools.
When the Second World War broke out, Mrs Ward became headmistress at West Witton, in Wensleydale, where she taught a large number of evacuee children.
Saltburn-born Mrs Ward fell in love with the dales and became a keen youth hosteller and a driving force behind the opening of the Whitby youth hostel.
She retired from teaching in 1966 and, although housebound keeps up her connection with the United Reformed Church, in Gypsy Lane, Nunthorpe, which she help to found, along with the Nunthorpe Gardening Club.
Mrs Ward lives with her 85-year-old sister, Halcyone Purvis, at Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough.
Her husband, Donald, died 12 years ago.
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