Woman of Steel crane driver and mum to two Sheffield musicians celebrates 100th birthday

Gladys Eyre, who worked at Brown Bayley Steels as a crane driver throughout the Second World War, turned 100 years old this week (January 10). 

She grew up in Shiregreen, with five brothers and one sister, and worked with both her parents in the factory, doing the same role as her mum.

She told The Star: "I was replacing one of the men who had gone off. I’m bragging but they did say to me I was the quickest to pick up and use the crane. I was quite proud of myself.

"The men there were lovely. I got on well with them. My dad was 6’2," so they had to be on their best behaviour.

"They were warned, ‘don't swear in front of my daughter!’"

Gladys had four children with her husband, Thomas Frederick Eyre, who sadly passed away aged 50, after 25 years of marriage.

Their two sons became well-known musicians in Sheffield. Tommy Eyre, named after his dad, was a keyboard player, composer and arranger who worked with artists including Joe Cocker, Gerry Rafferty and Wham.

He sadly passed away in 2001.

Their other son, Simon, worked with Paul Weller, Sister Sledge and Lighthouse Family as a guitarist, composer and arranger, before moving to London where he still lives. 

Gladys’ daughter, Caroline, said: "She always talks about the time in the factory with real fondness, as though it was a really important family time. 

"She misses Sheffield, but once her four children left in the 70’s and 80’s, she just wanted to be nearer to us. But she loves Sheffield."

Gladys’ other daughter, Jane, lives in Dorset: "That makes my sister’s name Jane Eyre," said Caroline, "which must have been dad’s idea."

Before the covid lockdowns, Gladys moved in with Caroline in Kent, as she had begun to struggle living alone. She was later diagnosed with dementia, in 2022.

Caroline added: "It’s good for her to talk through the war stories. It’s all we’ve heard all our lives!

"She is so easy-going, and never has demands. We are blessed."

With the occasional prompt, Gladys shared some of her stories with The Star in August.

She said: "One day, the people below put the chains round the metal. When the man asked me to pull it up, his finger was in the chain, and it pulled his finger out. I felt terrible! 

"But he knew it wasn’t my fault. He bought me a big block of chocolate the next day, which were hard to find, to tell me it was alright."

Gladys was presented with a Woman of Steel medal by her family, as she and her family were unaware of the Sheffield Town Hall ceremony taking place in 2016.

She added: "Another time, I was with my brother Willis. We went up a hill and the sirens went, and we had to jump in the first air raid shelter we saw, which was at the top of the garden. 

"We got in and it was full of water. We were in there for 20 minutes, and had to walk home soaking wet," she laughed.

Gladys has eight great-grandchildren, the youngest of whom is just under a year old.