A pillar of the Ousby community celebrated her 100th birthday in style with a party at the same pub she ran for more than 30 years.
Norah Currah’s birthday celebrations stretched across the weekend with family and friends dropping in to wish her well. She also received a card from the Queen to mark the milestone.
Born at Winston, near Barnard Castle, on 3rd September, 1921, Norah was the third of seven children.
School was completely different in her childhood according to Norah. She would walk two miles and back every day carrying her plimsoles and a jam or syrup sandwich in a Dorothy bag.
She said: “We had a lot of love with our upbringing but no money.”
Throughout Norah’s childhood her father was forced to break miners’ strikes in order to put bread on the table for his large family, leading sometimes to a nine-mile walk through the cover of woods so as not to be spotted by the men of the village as he went to work.
Despite lacking funds growing up, Norah remembers her early years fondly. Her mother created Easter frocks for the family out of old coat linings and they were happy with pasch eggs instead of chocolate.
Her recent milestone was celebrated much more successfully than her 18th birthday, which was spoilt somewhat by Britain declaring war on Nazi Germany. She added: “People didn’t realise how serious it was at the time.”
Throughout the war she remembers her family huddling around the wireless to stay updated — even tuning in to Churchill’s famous “We shall never surrender speech”.
It was also during the war, in 1943 that she married “Dufton lad”, Fred Currah.
A friend of Norah’s older brother, she said he would always tag along and ask if she was coming out with them.
A gamekeeper by trade, Fred quit the Army as soon as he could and the pair lived in a cottage until they eventually took over the Fox Inn in Ousby.
“When we came over, I’d never even seen the pub in daylight,” said Norah. “I remember there were no proper roads just cart tracks. They were a friendly lot in Ousby though.”
Throughout her 30-year tenure at the pub, which she eventually bought from the brewery, it was a bustling hub of the community.
Her son Howard said it was open seven days a week and sold a lot of beer.
Norah said: “There were a few old-fashioned farmers who would sit with a drop in their glass hoping to be treated but it was a lovely place full of laughter.”
Many celebrations were marked under the beams of the historic inn such as Norah and Fred’s silver wedding anniversary.
Her customers even bought her a candelabra, a silver tray and two bouquets for her after 25 years in charge.
Since retiring from the pub, her time was mainly spent attending to her garden — only giving it up four years ago. A lover of all things pink, Norah has planted a range of flowers so she could see the colour throughout the summer season.
The main change she has noticed over the years is the number of cars on the roads. From horse and carts for farmers when she arrived to two cars in every driveway.
When asked what the secret to a long life was, Norah said it was hard work. “I’ve had a happy life all in all,” she added.
“It was a great sadness when Fred died as well as my mum and dad but apart from that it’s been lovely and happy.”
