For this year’s Scottish Housing Day theme, Homes for Live, we met with 101-year-old, Sandy Aitkenhead, who has been a Cairn tenant for over four decades.
Sandy celebrated his 101st birthday this February at Stuart Court in Edinburgh and is a foundational part of the community.
Sandy: National Treasure of Stuart Court
Sandy used to work in the Merchant Navy and sailed the sea ending up in amazing places. He survived two torpedo attacks during the Second World War, one of them happening during a convoy from Halifax in Nova Scotia and resulted in his crew being picked up from a lifeboat drifting in the ice-cold Atlantic Ocean. Later, he became a Technical Assistant fitting radars and testing ships on the Tyne in Newcastle and the open sea.
He was married to his Finnish wife, Elsa, for 40 years and moved to Stuart Court after she passed away in the mid-80s.
While living at Stuart Court, Sandy met his girlfriend, Cindy, and they were together until she passed away aged 99, just before Sandy celebrated his100th birthday last year.
Sandy has a great passion for writing and used to write stage plays while being part of the Amateur Writers of the Edinburgh Theatre workshop. He also tried his hand at acting, though says he is a better writer than he is an actor!
Aside from his passion for writing, Sandy also enjoys politics and keeping active, particularly cycling, and has gone as far north as Aberdeen on his bike.
He is beloved by the staff and local community, always ready to share a story with you about his fascinating adventures. Sandy is a man of passion and many interests and has stayed active his whole life which he thinks might be one of the reasons for his incredible age. He is a cornerstone of the local community at Stuart Court.
Last week, we interviewed him about his life at the court and the secret to his longevity.
How long have you been a Cairn tenant?
I moved here in 1986 after the Merchant Navy. Back then, Cairn was known as the Royal British Legion. Before then. I used to live on the edge of the Meadows in Edinburgh and would go to night school from there.
What does the term ‘home’ mean to you?
For me, it’s important that a home has a woman in it, a companion that I can share my life with.
How do you find the community at the court?
Just great. People here look out for and support each other. One of my neighbours, Derek, brings me the papers and Liz helps by doing the washing for me. She even knows the times when I open and close my blinds! The other day I had just fallen asleep and forgotten to close my blinds and she popped by to see if I was ok. It’s a great community here and we’re well looked after.
How has Cairn supported you in maintaining your home over the years?
I still have great capacity, can make my own breakfast and the granddaughter of my girlfriend looks after me as well as Carly, the Court Coordinator, and other neighbours checking in on me. Because of this I haven’t needed a lot of adjustments done to my flat.
How did you celebrate your 100th birthday?
They organised a big party for me in the communal lounge with all my friends, family and neighbours. There were speeches from friends and myself and a long line of people queueing to give me hugs and gifts. This happened only a few months after my girlfriend Cindy had passed away, so it was really nice to have a big celebration and something positive in my life. I even received a special letter from pope Francis in honour of my birthday, which hangs framed on my wall now.
What do you think the secret of living to 100 is?
It seems to run in my family with my mother living to 101. My sister is also still alive at 92. I used to have a wee dram at night for years and a light French beer at lunch. I have so many interests and have always been active, cycling from here to Aberdeen and more. When I turned 90, I stopped driving because I didn’t want to risk anything as my reactions became slower. I think it’s important to recognise your limitations and be responsible as you get older.
