This week I caught up with the lovely Mollie Brell.

Age: 95

Where were you born? Manilla, NSW.

What are the most important lessons you've learned in life? To treat others how you would like to be treated.

What big world events were the most memorable while you were growing up? When I was at high school (I was in boarding school), war was declared. To teenage girls, war was in history books, we didn’t take much notice of it, though we were soon made aware of it because a lot of the girls in school had brothers in the Army. The war was a worrying time, but we got through it.,

What do you miss about the good-old days? I think I grew up in a good time, there’s lots of upsets happening these days.

What is your favourite childhood memory? I had to play make believe, we were on the land, I had four much older brothers, so I had to amuse myself. It wasn’t until we moved closer to town that I had friends my own age. I suppose it was like being an only child.

What life advice would you pass along to your grandchildren? Be kind to each other.

What did you want to be when you grew up? I think I would have preferred Nursing. I was talked out of it by my Mother, in those days I think they had pretty awful jobs, in those days you did what Mum said. *laughs*

Did you enjoy school? I tolerated school, *smiles* I was neither top nor bottom of the class. I left school while the war was still on. There wasn’t much opening for girls in those days, there was Teaching and Nursing and they weren’t for me, so I did a business course and that’s how I earnt my living, as a Secretary.

What was your first job? I worked in an office, I worked in Secretarial work until I was married.

What are you most proud of? My family, they have grown into lovely young adults.

Did you get an allowance? I remember I would get 20 cents on Saturday for polishing my Father’s boots. I didn’t think of it as an allowance in those days though, we had everything we needed, so that was it.

What did you get up to when you were young? When I was in my teens, I played a lot of tennis, and as I got older, I turned to golf. I’ve always been very healthy.

Who is the person who influenced your life the most? Why? A Principal at my boarding school, she was a very knowing and clever lady.

What is your favourite thing to do for fun now? I read, my daughter says that ‘I eat books’ *laughs* I love mysteries, “whodunnits,” light romances, and books about war time histories.