By NOEL MURPHY
SHERRY and singing could be the secret to a long life, if Violet Allon is anyone to go by.
The 101-year-old gave her golden tonsils a birthday wokout this week with a self-penned love song to Mayor Darryn Lyons.
“You are the one I adore…all I want from you is to hear you say you love me,” she warbled to him at his Elephant and Castle Hotel.
“We could have you on The Voice soon,” Cr Lyons grinned in response.
Born in London in 1914, Violet lived for years a stone’s throw from Southwark’s Elephant and Castle Hotel.
While Cr Lyons presented her with flowers for her birthday, she presented him with an impressive brass and leather Elephant and Castle buckle and strap, possibly from a London brewery horse.
Violet arrived in Australia on New Year’s Day 1960, settling in Melbourne before moving to Geelong 40 years ago.
“I remember the bombing of London, the whistle of the bombs,” she said.
“I lived through the whole war and I worked making shells for aircraft machine-gunners.”
Violet joined daughter Jean Reid and son-in-law Graham to celebrate her 101st birthday at Cr Lyons’ hotel over a Guinness pie and a sherry on St Patrick’s Day.
Jean testified to her mum’s remarkable staying power.
“She’s just excellent. We take her out every week and she writes her own songs and sings them,” she said, prompting a quick reply from mum.
“Yes, they’re my own songs – I’m still with it, you know,” Violet chimed in.
Cr Lyons said he planned to have the brass Elephant and Castle buckle mounted and installed in his hotel’s main bar.
