A former journalist who was among the earliest women to work in the industry has celebrated her 100th birthday. Eileen Parkin left school at 15 to join her local paper, the Batley News, before going to work for various titles in Yorkshire. While working on the Harrogate Advertiser, she married fellow journalist Leslie Parkin who went on to become chief assistant editor of the Yorkshire Evening Post. She celebrated her 100th birthday at Adel Manor care home in Leeds earlier this month, surrounded by friends and family. As a young woman reporter on the Batley News, Eileen was regarded as “a bit of rarity” although the paper was then owned by a woman, Miss Gertie Roberts.