100 up and business still booming

She started a new business at the age of 50 – and half a century later both are still going strong.

Linda Brewer, who opened Brewer's Sewing Machines on Dudley Road, Wolverhampton, with her husband in 1958, has enjoyed her 100th birthday surrounded by family and friends.

And it is a double celebration for the shop's 50th birthday.

Mrs Brewer, has two daughters, Kathleen, who has taken over the business, and Sylvia, as well as three grandchildren and five great grandchildren. She was born in Leeds and moved to the Midlands with her family in 1955.

They originally lived in Coseley and after a brief stint at Revo in Tipton, Linda and her husband Roland opened their sewing shop in 1958. It was originally at 528 Dudley Road but moved to number 458 in 1972 because of a road widening scheme.

Linda's daughter Kathleen, now 66, started there when she was 16 and she says her mum was still popping in every day until she turned 79 back in 1987.

And even though Linda now doesn't come down to the shop she still wants to know all about how it is going.

Mrs Harvey now runs the business with her husband Alan.

She says things are very different from when her mum was in charge but the business is doing just as well.

She said: "Back then it was quite industrial in terms of selling sewing machines for factories. We are finding though with the increase in the number of sewing clubs there is still the demand."

And she added that they have also received a business boost from an unusual source: "We have seen an increase in the numbers of people wanting sewing machines after watching shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and they are making costumes," she said.