100-year-old Banbury woman celebrates with surprise party at the Whately Hall Hotel

Joyce Brown lives on the Ruscote estate in Banbury and says her secret for a long life is ‘staying active, a little light gardening and feeding the birds’.

She was given a surprise party with her five children and many friends and received a card from HM The Queen.

Son Michael said: “Mother still lives independently. She pops out to the shops for a paper and bits and pieces, does all her own cooking and laundry and some gardening.”

Mrs Brown was born on April 19, 1922 as Joyce Mary Broughton, one of six children, and grew up in Nottingham until the war when she was posted to Pembray, Wales with the Land Army. There she met her husband of 70 years Maurice Brown who was serving in the RAF.

The couple married in September 1944 and moved to Howard Road in Banbury two years later with their first child, Kenneth.

The two then lived in Chacombe, Warkworth, Charlton and Kings Sutton before moving back to Banbury in 1963 with their five children. A sixth was born.

"It was as if they needed to keep the theme going, new house – new baby. They moved to Bloxham for a few years but returned to Banbury where they made their home in Woodfield,” said Michael.

"Mother did many jobs – working at the hospital, on a garage forecourt and as a bakery sales assistant. Dad worked at Alcan before moving into farming.

"He became a relief manager for Walkers Stores in Banbury before managing Robins which later became Carpenter Shergold. His final job was opening and managing a new Robins store in Brackley.”

As well as her six children – Kenneth, now 76 and living in South Africa, Pamela, 73 from Banbury, Michael, 72, from Evesham, Sheila, 68, from Charlbury, Anne, 60, from Banbury and Margaret, 57, who lives on the Isle of Lewis - Mrs Brown has ten grandchildren, 13, great grandchildren and three great, great grandchildren.