An Aberdeen woman who dedicated years of her life to teaching children in the city is celebrating her 100th birthday.
Jean Stephen was born in the Granite City on November 6, 1922, and has lived there ever since.
She still resides in the same Rosemount property she has called home since the mid- 1930s, having moved in with her parents as a child.
The centenarian was educated at Mile End School and Aberdeen High School for Girls, before attending Aberdeen University and the city’s teaching college.
“She’ll be known to many people in Aberdeen,” her cousin Mark Taylor said.
“Jean initially taught at Hilton Primary and then she went to Kittybrewster Primary School, and then became infant mistress at Tullos.
“For most of her career, over 20 years, she was at Ashley Road Primary where she was infant mistress from 1966 until 1987.”
Celebrating with family and friends
Since leaving the school, Ms Stephen has enjoyed a “long, happy and healthy” retirement and enjoys nothing more than going on “a wee outing” with her friends and family.
Around 60 of her nearest and dearest joined together to celebrate her milestone birthday on Saturday.
The group gathered for a sit-down lunch and party in the hall at Queen’s Cross Church where she has been a member for many years.
Her immediate family kept the celebrations going today with a more intimate lunch at the Atholl Hotel.
Close bond with parents
Mr Taylor said his cousin has a big extended family, and she also enjoys cooking and baking for herself, as well as spending time in the garden.
She was very close to both of her parents and would spend her summer holidays driving them around the UK, visiting locations including London, Brighton and the Cotswolds after buying her first car in the late 1950s.
Her father, Samuel Stephen, managed the case room for Aberdeen Journals on Broad Street before his death in 1963.
Meanwhile her mother, Jean Bremner, was part of the Bremner family from Aberchirder and died 10 years after her husband in 1973.
Conversation