Elsie Allcock has lived in the same house for an impressive 105 years.
Born in this Huthwaite, Nottinghamshire residence in June 1918, she witnessed the final days of the First World War.
Elsie Allcock’s home, a two-bedroom terrace house in Huthwaite, Nottinghamshire, has been a silent witness to the changing times. This humble abode, which Elsie bought with her late husband for £25012, has seen the end of World War One, World War Two, five heads of state and 22 British prime ministers. Today, she shares this home with her 76-year-old son, Raymond.
Huthwaite, the village where Elsie’s house is located, has a rich history. It was known as Hucknall-under-Huthwaite and also Dirty Hucknall before 1907. The name Huthwaite is derived from Old English plus Norse elements—hoh is from haugr an Old Norse word for a hill and thwaite means a clearing -so, literally, a clearing on a hill spur. The village saw rapid population growth through the 19th-century expansion.
Nottinghamshire, where Huthwaite is located, has a long history of coal mining. Coal was probably being mined around Cossall and Selston in the 1270s. By the time Elsie was born in 1918, coal mining had become one of the main industries in the area. This historical context adds another layer of depth to Elsie’s story as her father was a coal miner by profession.
At that time, King George V reigned. From this two-bedroom terrace home, she's seen the unfoldings of two world wars and witnessed two royal coronations.
After leaving school at 14, Elsie remained at home to support her family, especially after the loss of her mother, Eliza, who succumbed to pneumonia in 1932.
Upon marrying Bill Allcock in 1941, the couple chose to stay in the house, living with her father.
By 1960, Elsie purchased her lifelong home for £250. Her dad, Mark Hall, a coal miner by profession, had initially rented the home in 1902 for seven shillings and sixpence.
Allcock does around 25 jigsaw puzzles each year and often tends to plants in her garden. She only stopped knitting last year due to arthritis.
Over her lifetime, the great-great-grandmother has had two children, six grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and 11 great-great-grandchildren - all while living in the same terraced two-bed.
It's also the place she resided during both world wars, the first ever moon landing, the rise and fall of the Soviet Union, and a pandemic or two, as well as 22 prime ministers and now five monarchs!
The mum of two, who has six grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren, says she attributes her long life to "not sitting idle".
The mum of two, who has six grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren, says she attributes her long life to "not sitting idle".
Allcock does not have an internet connection, mobile phone, or email.
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