100th birthday: Joan Greenwood

Mrs Greenwood, who is currently at Chantry Court in Devizes, was born in Balham, London, on September 20 1919, and was brought up in nearby district of Southall.

She claims she managed to reach 100 years of age thanks to 'always living in quiet places' and 'enjoying a quiet lifestyle'.

During the Second World War, Mrs Greenwood joined the Women's Royal Air Force where she served any airfields across the country and became a radio operator.

Following the war, she worked in the Hotel Grosvenor, Swanage, on the waterfront.

During her time in Swanage, she met her husband, Charles Greenwood, who was a member of RAF aircrew during the war.

In the 1940s, the couple decided to live with Charles' parents in Cliftonville, Kent, which later became a nine bedroom guest house which they ran together for several years.

Mrs Greenwood's nephews, Chris and Tony Jones, have known her for more than 70 years and have fond memories of seaside holidays and her good cooking.

Tony Jones said: "One thing I will always connect her with is her cooking skills.

"We often spent a lot of time at their big guest house, and she was generally such a good cook."

Years later, they sold the guest house and moved to their own house in Cliftonville, and then to a bungalow in Margate where she lived for 58 years.

Charles died in 2002, and Mrs Greenwood lived in Margate for a further five years before moving to Devizes to be closer to her nephew Chris, and his family.

She is now a very well-respected resident at Chantry Court, and is actually the first 100-year-old the home has ever had living there.

Mrs Greenwood is a keen card player, goes to afternoon tea most days, and also still tries to go shopping around Devizes when she can.

She spent her birthday, on Friday, surrounded by friends at the home, as well as her nephews and their families at a party in Chantry Court's lounge.

At 5pm on Friday evening, St Mary's Church, in Devizes, rang a quarter peal of bells in honour of Joan Greenwood.