Margaret 'joins' Navy at age 100 and fulfills lifelong dream

Despite a successful career in education, former headmistress, Margaret Grey revealed to staff at St Monica Trust’s Charterhouse Care Home that it had always been her dream to follow in her father’s footsteps and join the Royal Navy.

Margaret’s father had joined the Royal Navy at age sixteen and sailed the world on a number of warships as a Chief Petty Officer, before moving to Bristol and working as an electrician on HMS Flying Fox.

Margaret said: “I’d studied my A Levels to join the Women’s Royal Naval Service and become a Wren. I was so looking forward to earning that lovely cap with the white stripe.

“Unfortunately, both my parents became seriously ill, which meant I couldn’t join the navy as I wouldn’t have been able to go overseas and leave them on their own.

“Despite not being able to become a Wren, I did eventually warm to teaching and quite enjoyed it. But I’d never have become a teacher if I’d been able to go and serve overseas.”

"A great honour"

Margaret was presented with the cap by Royal Marines Warrant Officer, John Morrish and Able Rating, Aaaron Hayes from the Naval Regional Command Wales and Western England.

Warrant Officer, Morrish said: “It’s a really great honour to be able to present this Royal Navy Cap to Margaret and chat with her about her wonderful life.

“It’s genuinely inspiring to meet her and share memories of her father’s time in the Royal Navy and serving onboard HMS Flying Fox.”

After celebrating with a glass of Prosecco, Margaret said: “My father would've been very proud to see me wearing my cap today. ‘That’s my girl,' he'd say. He was a very, very lovely man."

Headmistress

Margaret celebrated her 100^th birthday on 22 December last year with family, friends, former pupils and staff at the care home in Keynsham.

After studying English Literature at Bristol University, Margaret started her teaching career at Colston’s Girls’ School.

When her father died, Margaret changed schools to be nearer to her mum and became deputy-headmistress at St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School.

She then became headmistress at Merrywood Girls School where she taught until she retired in 1984.

Who is that man?

Margaret lived with her mother’s family in Northumberland while her dad was at sea and his three year postings on warships meant she didn’t meet him until she was a toddler.

“I met my dad for first time when I was three years old. I saw my Mum with a strange man in the parlour and they wouldn’t stop chatting.

"I got fed up waiting for them to finish and went into the kitchen to ask my granny who the man was, and she said: ‘That’s your father.’”

A dream come true

After moving to Bristol, Margaret lived in her family home in Whitehall for more than 90 years before becoming a resident at the St Monica Trust’s Charterhouse Care Home in June 2022.

Charterhouse Care Home Manager, Gail Stone said: “After hearing how much it would’ve meant to Margaret to have been able to join the Royal Navy, we thought it would be a nice idea to arrange something special as part of her birthday celebrations.

“We can’t thank Warrant Officer, John Morrish and Able Rating, Aaaron Hayes enough for coming along today and making Margaret’s dream of 'joining' the Royal Navy finally come true.”