Ernie goes digital to mark 90 years

AS his ninetieth birthday approached, Ernie Wintle knew there would be some fun in store.

“My daughters were going to organise to take me somewhere as a surprise, with family and friends,” he said.

But when COVID-19 arrived with its own societal surprises, plans changed, and although he needed to stay home to keep himself and others safe, alternative joyful celebrations were arranged by his “close” family.

“My daughters rang me up and said, ‘dad, you’ll be on the laptop.’ So as it turned out, my 90th birthday was the first time I’d seen everyone on the computer like that.”

With cupcakes and lamingtons, Mr Wintle recently went live on Zoom for his special day, having a hoot over afternoon tea.

“When it came on, there were my three daughters and sons in law, my two grandsons and my granddaughter, all on this big screen, including me,” he laughed.

“We were there for a couple of hours, and a couple of other relations came on out of the blue. It was terrific.

“A day which looked like being a very silent sort of a day, because of lockdown, turned out fantastic.”

A treasured letter arrived from his middle daughter, based in Melbourne, and was a highlight of the occasion. Her writing reminisced on life growing up as a Wintle girl.

“It’s a real story of family. It was all memories. She spoke about things I told them, and things we did together when they were little girls.

“I stopped a couple of times with tears in my eyes and I couldn’t read it,” Mr Wintle said.

Although he wasn’t able to see some family and friends for over two months, Mr Wintle is happily independent in his own home, with two of his daughters living close enough to be neighbours.

He knows he’s always got the trusty telephone to catch up, and share the love with his network of supporters, even if he can’t be with all of them face-to-face.

“You may not see a friend often, but you’ll never forget a true friend,” he said.

“I have my family, I have my friends and my health. I can laugh, and if I drop a tear, it’s not for sadness, but for how lucky I am.

“They’re the things you can’t buy. What more can I ask for?”

At a time where many things are uncertain, Mr Wintle knows one thing for sure. He may be a 90-year-old man, but he does not feel like one.

“I don’t think of it as a score. I’ve still got my whole life ahead of me and I’m doing all the same things, just slower,” he laughed.