Timeless beauty scouted by Vogue, aged 100
BRITAIN is full of unsung heroes and heroines who deserve recognition. Here, in our weekly obituary column, the moving and remarkable stories of ordinary people who have lived extraordinary lives, and who died recently, are told by their loved ones...
The call came out of the blue. Bo was at home in her flat in Alcester, a quiet market town in Warwickshire, where she had just celebrated her 100th birthday.
There had been a lovely party. The town mayor joined family and friends to congratulate Bo and she — elegant as always in a chic little fitted suit and blouse — had her photo published in the evesham Journal.
What happened next was quite extraordinary.
Somehow, researchers at Vogue magazine spotted the picture of the stylish pensioner, and asked if she’d like to go to London for a shoot to feature in the magazine’s centenary edition as their first 100year-old model.
You can imagine how astounded and delighted Bo was to be offered her first modelling assignment at such an advanced age.
But she couldn’t quite believe it either and kept asking: ‘Why me?’
We were assured she would be treated like the Queen —whisked to the capital in a limousine and put up at a smart hotel — and after thinking it over, Bo, who was always ready for an adventure, said: ‘Why not?’ So in June 2016 there she was, smiling regally from the pages of Vogue, resplendent in a bright fuchsia designer coat and trousers with a Victoria Beckham black top — all tailored to fit her tiny size 6, 4ft 10in frame.
She wore shoes by Celine, a Lanvin necklace, bespoke Valentino glasses, and she looked so gracious — an absolute natural — with that little twinkle in her eye we all knew so well.
There was a flurry of publicity and a video that attracted hundreds of thousands of views on social media.
In it, Bo said: ‘I dress for myself. I never dress up for boys.’ how she loved her moment in the limelight!
Bo was born in 1916 in Aberdare, South Wales, as World War I raged, and just after horse-drawn buses in London had been replaced by motorised vehicles.
In her teens she moved to Birmingham and started work in the accounts department of Boston’s, a cardboard box manufacturer, in her 20s. During World War II, when many male employees went off to fight, it was Bo who kept the factory running smoothly.
She worked there for 44 years, eventually being promoted to director.
At a dance in July 1938, she met, and later married, Dennis Gilbert, a tax inspector.
Bo was a great homemaker and a wonderful cook. her hard work meant she was the first person in her family to have a front- loading
washing machine and colour tV, while the stylish Mini she drove became her trademark.
She and Dennis were devoted to each other, they loved to travel and were great football fans — season ticket holders at Birmingham City.
they had one child, a daughter Stephanie, whom they lost to cancer in 1990 — which is when I come into Bo’s life.
I was a trustee of the hospice in Northampton where Stephanie died and I met her husband Peter. We became friends and later married.
Bo embraced me as a family member and was an honoured guest at our wedding. that’s when our wonderful friendship began.
Bo had no grandchildren of her own, but she ‘adopted’ mine (I have two daughters from my first marriage) and they adored her.
SHE lived independently until just after that milestone birthday, travelling every day by bus to visit friends.
For the last couple of years of her life, she moved into a care home in Northampton to be near Peter and me. one of my lasting memories will be of her at her 101st birthday dancing to Glenn Miller.
‘I do things a lot of people wouldn’t do at my age,’ she once remarked
Bo died peacefully in her sleep at 102, having entertained us to the last.
one of the team who worked with her on the Vogue shoot described her as ‘ a fabulous, independent lady who epitomises timeless style’. It just about sums her up.
Marjorie ‘bo’ Gilbert, born January 12, 1916, died May 12, 2018, aged 102.