That was the summation given by good friend Beth Dean earlier this month, when the Tamworth marvel celebrated her 95^th birthday with friends and family at Wests Leagues Club.

One of Tamworth’s lesser known, but brightest, stars has lived a life that many women these days could only dream of.

A life which saw her growing up during the post WW1 depression in the city, took her to the bright lights and centre stage of the Tivoli Theatre, saw her open and run one of Sydney’s most renown hair salons of the time, head to Hong Kong with a dance championships, play lawn bowls for NSW, live the quiet life on a beautiful property near Piallaway, and touch thousands of souls along the way with her gentle touch, caring ear and infectious lust for life.

“I suppose I have had a full life,” Ms Thornton said.

“I have loved it all.” 

Yvonne Owen’s father served in the Great War, and on returning the family had five children, although in 1922 they got the special gift of identical twin girls, Yvonne and Elaine.

While the twins proved to be inseparable in their early days, their limbs and joints were not-so-inseparable, after a dance teacher discovered their hidden talents by chance.

That dance teacher’s name was, quite aptly, Mr Lucky, which to some might have been ironic as the teacher had been confined to a wheelchair after an onstage accident. Although for the Owen Sisters, as they would be known, the chance encounter proved to be very lucky indeed.

“We were doing dancing and singing lessons when we were at school,” Ms Thornton said.

“The teacher discovered that we were both ‘double jointed’ and it went from there.

What “went from there” was an on stage adventure that saw the famous Owen Sisters performing their take on a Vaudevillian contortionist act, that took them to performance halls and stages all over the metro area.

“We could do all sorts of things – we could even sit on our own heads and would do the full act on a platform each that was only 18 square inches, without ever getting off,” Ms Thornton said.

The amazing Owen Sisters act eventually landed the twins a prime time slot in the Tivoli Theatre’s matinee show, and all while they were still at school.

“We loved doing the show, but the money we earned all went to feeding the family during the depression – it had to,” Ms Thornton said.

“We missed a lot of school to do it.” 

As the sister act got older, Elaine and Yvonne found a new passion that they could share together and opened a hair salon in Fairfield.

The Twins Beauty Salon on The Crescent soon became the place to go for all hair and beauty needs, and with all their connections in the theatre and performance industries, the business began to boom and as the staff grew, so did the vision.

“We ended up doing all the hair and make-up for the Ballroom Dancing Championships in Hong Kong,” Ms Thornton said.

“We had a great time in Hong Kong and in the salon – we had the salon for 32 years.” 

During that time, Yvonne had met a man and in 1947 she married Col Preferment, a soldier who then went and served five and a half years overseas before coming home to Australia and taking his bride away from the bright lights and hustle of the city to his home, Piallaway.

“I went from that lifestyle in Sydney to a farm in Piallaway with no electricity and no phones,” Ms Thornton said.

“My friends and family said that I wouldn’t last six months, but we were there for 43 years.” 

“I loved it out there too.” 

​The happy couple also spent time on farms all around the region, including Breeza and Carrabubula, and Yvonne never lost her passion for cutting hair, working all over the region in hospitals, retirement homes and hospices, as well as throwing herself into charities and organisations such as the Red Cross.

Since then the hairdressing contortionist turned country wife has lost her husband, as well as her twin sister and brothers, and tragically also a daughter, although does have a son, grand children, and great grand-children to help keep her busy. 

She was also re-married to Wal Thornton in 2002 and has since lost him, although her intoxicating attitude and energy continues to this day.

“I love meeting new people and helping people – I always have,” Ms Thornton said.

“A few doctors have told me I can do more for a person in their final days with a haircut than any doctor could do.”

In the last few weeks the nonagenarian once again passed her full drivers license with flying colours, yet again, which is lucky because the Tivoli twin is still just as active in the community as she has always been.

Ms Thornton continues to cut hair and has a few regular clients, as well as servicing friends and strangers in the nursing homes and hospitals, she even takes their laundry home and returns it the following day washed, ironed and folded.

Living by herself these days, her beautiful home is wall to wall with photos of family and friends, as well as paintings, ornaments and other memorabilia from a life very well lived.

Hanging in one door is a magnificent, but heavy, bead curtain, which she “had to wear back from Hong Kong because it was too heavy to be in luggage”, as well as a collection of Asiatic paintings, and one of her prized possessions; a Papua New Guinean Bird of Paradise in a glass display.

“My husband brought it back for me after the war,” Ms Thornton said.

“He had it hidden in his rifle case and when he got home he wanted me to wear it in my hair to the races because it is so beautiful.” 

While trips to Hong Kong or the Tivoli stage might be a bit out of reach these days, Ms Thornton is still planning on hitting the road soon. The former representative NSW bowls ace still manages to have a roll three times a week and is preparing to again represent at a carpet bowls tournament in Lightning Ridge, a sport in which she has taken a valuable life lesson.

“I remember playing for NSW and we were well ahead going into the last end of the final when it began to pour down with rain,” Ms Thornton said. “We ended up going down by two shots which goes to show that nothing is ever over until it is absolutely over.” 

“My grand-kids keep telling me that I have to make 100; so I will see what I can do.”