One of Somerset's oldest residents turns 105
One of Somerset’s oldest residents celebrated her 105th birthday with a birthday card from the King and Queen and a party for family and friends at St Benedict’s Nursing Home in Glastonbury where she now lives.
Joan said: “A hundred and five? I’m tougher than I thought I was! I must be being well looked after. The girls here are lovely.”
Born on 21 March 1919, just months after the end of the First World War, the centenarian lived in the same house on The Mead in Street for 102 years, from the age of two until last year.
Joan grew up and went to school in Street. She met her late husband Bert in the mid-1930s while walking to Glastonbury with friends, after he and some of his friends had attracted the girls’ attention by whistling at them.
The pair married in 1939 at the start of the Second World War, pre-empting Bert’s departure for Scarborough where he was sent to train as a radio operator ahead of the Battle of Anzio in Italy.
During the war Joan took in an evacuee from London, Sylvie, who remains in touch with her to this day. Her father was a soldier stationed near Yeovil who used to visit and take her out for the day on Saturdays, and Sylvie would accompany Joan’s mother to the off-licence once a week to buy her Guinness.
When peace returned Joan became a stitcher for a local shoe maker, while Bert took a job at Clark's Factory in Street where he remained for 42 years.
In 1943 the pair welcomed their first child, John, followed by Mary in 1949, after which the new mum took a part-time job in a nearby pub and cake shop. She later worked at the Morlands Sheepskin factory in Glastonbury.
Joan and Bert celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1989 and were married for a total of 62 years. They had three grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
Joan’s son John said: “We are so thrilled to be celebrating Mum’s 105th birthday with her and really appreciate the effort the team at St Benedict’s has taken to ensure she enjoys her very special day.
“It was obviously a huge deal for her to relocate to St Benedict’s last year from the home where she had lived for over a century, but she is happy and well-looked after here and we very much appreciate that.”
St Benedict’s Nursing Home is run by The White Care Group which has other homes in Shepton Mallet and Taunton www.stbens.co.uk
