01 March 2024 , 20:18
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Margaret and Maureen Beckwith were born just five minutes apart on July 17, 1940 and have been inseparable ever since.
The siblings went to the same school after failing the 11-plus exam and got jobs as machinists at a dress making factory aged 15. The mischievous pair regularly played pranks on their workmates by switching places at their machines to see if anyone noticed.
Over the years they have never lived more than a few minutes away from each other and share clothes, holidays and even street names. Margaret, who is the oldest, lives on Queen Eleanor Road in Northampton while Maureen lives on the next street named Queen Eleanor Terrace. The twins say they often know when the other is not feeling well and regularly turn up to each other’s houses wearing identical outfits.
The pair have been inseparable since birth (SWNS)Margaret was married to husband Richard – who also had an identical twin Roger – for 55 years before he died in 2017 aged 76.
Maureen also married but divorced her late husband and now dotes on her five grandchildren, including 14-year twins William and Daniel. Margaret, who has six grown-up children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, said: “My sister and I have always been very close.
“We both went to the same school because we weren't clever enough to pass the 11-plus but it didn’t matter as long as we were together.”
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Maureen and Margaret aged three (SWNS)
Margaret Wright (Front) and Maureen Hallett are identical twins from Northampton aged 83 (Emma Trimble / SWNS)After leaving school the sisters were both hired as machinists at Lincoln Models dress-making factory in Northampton. Margaret said: “We had the same hair style and wore the same glasses and clothes. People used to get us mixed up all the time.
"I hated it because people used to stare. Maureen’s even come down and knocked on my door, and I've looked and said, I shan't be a minute', and she's said, 'Where are you going?' I said, 'To change my top because it's the same as the one you've got on'."
The twins spend every day together and are members of the same keep fit club, history society and lunch club. Their twin telepathy also means they can tell when the other is feeling unwell. Maureen said: "She'll phone me up and say, 'How have you been today?', and I'll say, 'A bit iffy', and she'll say, 'I've not been very well', so she knew that I wasn't feeling 100 per cent because she wasn't.
"We've always been the best of friends as well as sisters. When we were at school and at the dress making factory we'd often switch places to see if anyone noticed. No one ever realised and we often pretended we were the other one - it kept us entertained. Having a twin means you're never on your own and you always have a friend who knows you better than you know yourself sometimes."