‘Oldest debut author’ tells story of long and fascinating life in Morecambe and Silverdale

So pens Margaret Ford who, at 93, was described as the world’s oldest debut author.

Three years later, aged 96, she has written her second book – A Soldier’s Wife.

It tells the story of her long and fascinating life including decades spent in Morecambe and Silverdale.

From humble beginnings in a terraced house in Blackburn in the 1920s, Margaret has witnessed nine decades of change and challenge in contemporary Britain and its once

mighty Empire.

As a teenager during World War Two, she experienced the grief of losing boyfriends who died fighting for their country then, following a whirlwind romance, she married Jim Ford in 1947.

Jim was a British Army veteran of one of the war’s most ferocious campaigns, against the Japanese in Burma, and had fought at the legendary Battle of Imphal.

Margaret travelled the world with Jim, becoming part of an era that is now long gone: Army life in Britain’s colonies.

For six decades, she was an Army wife in Africa, Asia, and Europe.

While in Egypt in the early 1950s, she was caught up in the Suez Crisis.

She witnessed the bitter conflict at close quarters, when, more than once, she had to duck as bullets flew overhead.

When Jim was posted to Korea, Margaret returned to England but joined him again later in Singapore.

Unusually for an Army wife, Margaret also had her own career.

She was an accounts specialist for several companies, opened bookshops, and ran leisure facilities for military personnel.

When the couple finally settled in England, life wasn’t always happy.

Margaret had a failed pregnancy and then Jim was sent to Northern Ireland in the middle of the Troubles.

She never knew what happened to Jim in Belfast but he returned a broken man, suffering bad physical and mental health.

As the couple planned for Jim’s retirement from the Army, the couple moved to Morecambe, initially buying a bungalow in Needham Rise before moving to a flat near

Happy Mount Park.

During her time in Morecambe, Margaret became the WVS organiser for Morecambe and Heysham, setting up afternoon and lunch clubs, Meals and Books on Wheels and building ‘the best team anyone could want.’

“I could fill this book with just how much the WVS accomplished around this time.”

Eventually, the couple settled in Silverdale where Margaret has lived for more than 30 years.

She joined Silverdale Bowling Club, played badminton in Gaskell Hall, helped out at charity coffee mornings, became treasurer of the local RSPCA, secretary of the Over 50s Club and was even swimming at Total Fitness Club until she was 82.

Sadly, Jim died in 2013, one month short of their 67th anniversary.

“My life has moved on,” Margaret writes in the final chapter of the book. “It’s the summer of 2022 and I’m still moving on. I’m 96, the same vintage as the late Queen and when I saw her during her Jubilee celebrations smiling through her discomfort and clinging to her walking stick for dear life, I knew exactly how she felt.”

A Soldier’s Wife, published by Chiselbury is available from all good bookshops and worldwide from Amazon. It’s also available as a Kindle edition.