Five generations united, Teesdale Mercury

FIVE generations of the same family were together for the first time as a dale village’s oldest woman celebrated the birth of her first great great granddaughter.

Elise Fenwick was born last month to dad Ashley Fenwick and mum Laura Gill. 

Recently Elise spent the day with her parents, aunt Laura Fenwick, grandmother Susan Fenwick, great grandparents Donald and Ann Thompson and her 93-year-old great great grandmother Kathleen Thompson.

Susan, who lives in Crook, said being able to have five generations of her family at the same get- together was a novelty.

The new grandmother said: “We’re lucky to be able to have so many generations of the family together. My gran is amazing, she’ll probably outlive us all the way she is going. She still runs coffee mornings and was a delivery driver for meals on wheels until she realised she was older than most of the people she visited.” 

Elise was born on Saturday, June 12, a day after Susan’s birthday. Susan said: “Elise is already looking like one of the family. She looks exactly like I did at that age and my daughter, her aunt Laura.”

Kathleen, who has two sons, seven grandchildren, three great grandchildren and now a great great granddaughter, said: “It’s exciting to have another child in the family. I’ve been very lucky to have the family I’ve got and Elise will be a lovely addition to us. Christmas is always an expensive time for me though.”

The 93-year-old is the oldest woman in Eggleston, where she has be a resident for the past 43 years. She originally came from Stoke-on-Trent but moved to the North East after marrying South Shields lad William Thompson. He died 26 years ago. From 1957 to 1967 the pair ran the three Tuns pub in Toft Hill before Kathleen went to work at GlaxoSmithKline.

She has two sons, Michael and Donald. Donald has three children, Susan, Clare Thompson and Michael Thompson. The latter has a son, Leon, who is a first cousin once removed to Elise.