BEATY Thompson was born the year before the war to end all wars broke out and barely three when her father's generation was wiped out on the chalky uplands of the Somme. She was a teenager in 1929, the year of the Wall Street Crash, a catastrophe that helped to push the world over the precipice once again. And in 1939, when the planet again descended into madness, Beaty was a young

woman of 26.

Beaty has endured much in her 93 years. She has probably enjoyed few real periods of comfort and peace of mind throughout that troubled century in which she spent the vast majority of her life.

In more than nine eventful decades you might think she has a few demands to make on a society to which she has contributed so much. Yet there is just one - the right to spend the rest of her days in sheltered housing under the watchful eye of a resident warden.

In fact, this plucky lady feels so passionate about the issue that she has written to Prime Minister Tony Blair begging him to take action. Beaty has asked Worcester MP Mike Foster to act as intermediary and this newspaper is quite sure that he will do his utmost on her behalf. We'd also like Mr Foster to take a copy of the Worcester News to show Mr Blair the strength of feeling on the wardens issue.

We enjoy many rights and freedoms today, many of which were bought with the blood of Beaty's generation. So Mr Blair - please find some way to help a lady who gave her yesterdays for your todays.