Advance7 Review Arthritic Hands Elizabeth West

We sat down with Elizabeth at her home for a cup of tea, a slice of cake, and a wonderful afternoon of conversation. At 102, she has lived through more than most of us can imagine, and she has not lost a beat. Here is some of what she shared with us.

Elizabeth, you are 102. Did you get your 100th birthday card from the Queen when you turned 100?

Oh, it wasn't the Queen by then, dear. It was the King. May 2024, on my hundredth. So I had my 100th birthday card from King Charles. He was wearing a big beige coat in the picture. Camilla was beside him, too. I received it on the day of my 100th birthday; it’s a lovely keepsake.

Whereabouts where you brought up?

Ilford. Born and raised. A lovely place then. Not quite the same now, of course, but you make your peace with that when you get to my age.

Do you have any memories from the war?

Oh, plenty. But there is one in particular that always comes back to me.

I told my parents I was off to the cinema in Ilford. I was with Bill. He became my husband, in the end. Well, we were not married then, of course. We were just courting. Sixty years we had together. But that night, we were young, we were having fun, and once we were out we changed our minds and went dancing instead. Never thought twice about it.

When we walked home, my parents were stood outside the cinema, both of them in tears. There had been bombing that night, and they thought I was inside. I came up behind my mother and tapped her on the shoulder, and the poor woman jumped out of her skin. She turned round and said, "I thought you were dead." I told her, very matter of fact, "Oh no, Mum. We decided to go dancing instead."

I am not sure she knew whether to hug me or smack me.

Did the war touch you in harder ways, too?

It did. By that stage, Bill and I had married, and he had gone off to serve. He was in the Air Force, stationed out in Burma. He did not get home until October 1946.

Our house in Ilford was hit. Destroyed. We lost the lot. We could not stay there, of course, so we were moved out to Enfield. We lived in prefabs. Basic huts really, with washing facilities you shared with everyone else. You made do. You really did. There was no other choice in those days.

In the months that followed, I had some work to do in London, and I was travelling in on the train each day. On one of those occasions, the Luftwaffe came down on us with a machine gun. The bullets went straight through the carriage. Everyone hit the floor. Not a soul was hurt, miraculously. Another close shave, that one.

Once that work was over, I went into the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield. RSAF, everyone called it. The Enfield factory. It was women, almost entirely, because the men were all away fighting. Long days, hard work, but everyone was doing their bit. There was a great spirit about it, looking back. We knew what we were doing it for.

When the war in Europe ended, on the 8th of May 1945, it was the day after my birthday. The finest birthday present I could have asked for, really. Though it was overshadowed for me, I will admit, because Bill was still out in Burma. I did not have him home for another year and a half.

A hundred and two. What is the secret?

Well, there isn't one really. I mean, obviously, a lot of it is genetics. But I have always kept very active, mentally and physically. I am just always busy. I am in a home now, which was a big move for me, but I have kept myself busy in here too. I walk around the garden every day.

My son comes to see me most days, bless him. Twice a week, we go for a proper walk. He brings the chair along, just as a backup. There is a Toby Carvery just down the road, and generally that is where we go. It has become a bit of a tradition. I usually walk there, mind. Walking back is another matter, and I am quite happy to jump in the chair when my legs say enough is enough.

Tell us about your son.

That is Terry. He is seventy, would you believe. He goes off sailing whenever he gets the chance. I am happy at home knowing he is enjoying himself. That is what I want for him.

What about the wider family?

Oh, the family stretches all over the world now. I have two grandsons.

The first is thirty-five, and he lives out in Sydney. He has a little boy of his own. They flew all the way over to see me, which was the loveliest thing. I am so glad I got to meet the little one.

My other grandson is fifty-seven, and he lives in Italy. He has three children of his own, all grown up. The eldest is thirty, and he is out in Dubai. He had a baby recently and brought him over at Christmas to meet me. To see the family expanding like that, at my age, is a real blessing.

The middle one is twenty-five, and he is in London. He pops in to see me when he can. Then there is my only great-granddaughter. She is twenty-three. She moved out to Perth, Western Australia, just after Christmas this year. So they really are scattered far and wide. I love hearing from them all.

When did Advance 7 Gel come into your life?

About five years ago now. I saw it in a newspaper advert, ordered a tube, and I have just kept using it ever since. It works for me, you see. My hands and knees have been giving me trouble for some time. The pain creeps in, especially in the morning.

I have been using it a long time now, so I don’t need very much. A little bit on the knees, a little bit on the hands, and that is enough. My friend showed me some exercises for arthritic hands, but Advance7 is definitely the best treatment for arthritic hands.

In the summer, I still need it for pain relief, but not as much. But I keep it close to hand. I am a bit prone to knocking into things, you see. A bump on the corner of a chair, a little stumble in the garden. When that happens, I reach straight for it, and I am soon right as rain. The gel is just amazing to me. It really is.

Would you recommend it?

Oh, I do. Everyone in here knows about it now. I tell them, if it is good enough for me at a hundred and two, it will do you a turn.

Elizabeth, this has been fascinating. You are an incredible woman. We will come back to see you on your 103rd birthday. Is that all right?

She laughs.

"Of course it is. Now, who is for another cup of tea?"