Growing gracefully to a grand old age of 110 is Evadney Talbot of Company Path, Buxton, East Coast Demerara.
Talbot was born on May 10, 1912 and spent all of her life in central Buxton.

The Pepperpot spoke with her eldest daughter Hermeni Talbot, who related that her mother is a very sociable person.
“My Mom was one of the founding members of the Buxton Golden Age Club which she regularly attended until the last three years when she stopped moving around,” Tablot’s daughter told Pepperpot Magazine.

According to Hermeni, the Buxton Golden Age Club is a club for persons in the 60s. It is a club where persons would meet and enjoy friendly times together, celebrate each other‘s birthdays and other significant milestones in their lives.

The Club met once per week and also provided for outings for the seniors and other social activities.
According to information posted on social media, the Buxton Golden Age Group was formed some 25 years ago by a group of retired teachers.

The main aim of the group, which currently has over 40 members, is to continue the learning process. To this end, at their regular meetings, they take part in a variety of activities, including craft courses, health discussions, dress parades, dances and fundraising activities. Some members are shut-ins, so the group has a visiting committee which regularly calls on them, bringing gifts on special occasions such as birthdays and Christmas.

Talbot’s eldest daughter told the Pepperpot Magazine that her mother had five children, but two are deceased.
Hermeni attended the Sacred Heart Primary School in Georgetown, and resided with her Aunt in Georgetown as a girl and after school, she went back home to Buxton on the East Coast of Demerara, where she currently resides.

LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE CENTENARIAN
“Never to give up, to think positively and for my mother, the phrase ‘can’t do’ is not in her vocabulary. Everything is possible as far as she is concerned. She is very active. She was always engaged in doing something or the other. She was a seamstress in her own right, made all the clothes for all the children and grandchildren. She was a very capable woman,” her eldest daughter described to the Pepperpot Magazine.

Pepperpot was also told of ‘Aunty Talbot’s’ unwavering commitment as a long-standing member of the St Augustine Anglican Church and its Mother Union. As a result, she was very active in the village.

“She is capable of carrying on a conversation with both visitors and her grandchildren. Sometimes, she is not in the mood for it, but she knows them and is fondly in love with them, especially when they would pay her a visit,” the eldest daughter expressed.

According to Hermeni, her mother isn’t a person who believes in procrastination. What you can do today, you simply do not put it off for tomorrow.
Hermeni also drew from her mother’s exemplary life, the attribute of becoming involved in activities, which makes you feel as though you have made a great and significant contribution to life and people’s lives.

Talbot expressed in no uncertain terms that her mother always like to go out and dress up.
According to her, any activity in the village that involves the elderly, you can bet that Evadney Talbot would be there.

THE CAREER PATHS HER CHILDREN HAVE CHOSEN AS A RESULT OF HER NURTURING
“Well, I am here now, [but] I live in London. I am a retired nurse. My brother lives in New York. He has retired. He was an Accountant here. My other brother is retired now, and he lives right here in Guyana, at Poudreyen, but he lived in London for a while. We all are married now and have children of our own, and grandchildren and great-grandchildren,” Hermine joyfully expressed to the Pepperpot Magazine.

“Mum loves to travel, she has been abroad several times, and she travelled to London, England, on four occasions.
She also spent several vacations in Curacao. Incidentally, she loves flowering plants, and everyone came to take plants from Ms. Talbot’s Garden.”

Hermeni recalled that her mother would often say to respect others; if you can help someone, help them.
Her husband passed on 50 years ago and since then, her children have looked up to her as their only mentor and disciplinarian. Her eldest child today is 91 years old.

Evadney also has the honour of having 35 grandchildren, 40 great-grands and six great-great grands.
Before her marriage, she was well known for her homemade embroidery and dressmaking. Early in her marriage, Evadney assisted her husband in the backdam planting sugar cane and ground provisions.