HITTING an incredible milestone, Janet Ruxton from Shebbear, celebrated her 103rd birthday with a tea party in the Church Rooms.

On Saturday, June 18, over 30 people including friends, family and carers past and present, joined Mrs Ruxton to celebrate her 103rd birthday.

She has three children, a daughter and two sons, one of whom was adopted in Ghana, two grandsons, and four great-grandchildren, and the two grandson’s wives are from China and Peru.

Mrs Ruxton moved to Shebbear with her late husband, Allan Ruxton, almost 40 years ago in the mid to early 80s from Kent.

Before the Second World War she had dinners with Winston Churchill, during the war she worked in the fire service and even remembers seeing zeppelins flying overhead during the First World War.

Mrs Ruxton’s daughter, Diane Downing, spoke to the Post about her mother’s birthday and some of the incredible things she has done in her 103 years.

She said: “She had a great time and was overwhelmed by the number of people who turned up to her birthday. The cake was made by Loraine, one of mother’s carers and it looked gorgeous, however, mother has unfortunately lost her eyesight so there was a lot of describing things going on from us.”

During World War Two, Mrs Ruxton dined with Winston Churchill. The ladies had to leave the men at the end of the meal but it was known that these meetings were discussing the preparations for the war.

When asked about the dinners, Diane said: “It was pre-war time, around 1939 and evidently there were meetings in a private house, I’m not sure whether it was in London or somewhere out in the country, but it was where the great and good would go to plan.

“In those days of course women had to leave the table when the men were speaking about plans and things, mother was part of the table who dined with Churchill but not the meetings regarding World War Two plans and would be asked to leave before the men continued.”

One of Mrs Ruxton’s earliest memories is of seeing the zeppelins of world war one as they bombed Britain.

Diane said: “As a child, mother says she can remember being told by her mother about the zeppelins. She remembers being lifted up to see out the window to watch the huge zeppelins flying past before being told to run downstairs and hide.

“The zeppelins would move very slowly and it must have been terrifying, not many people are likely to remember that.”

Mrs Ruxton had spent around seven years of her life living in Ghana with her late husband Allan.

They were both teachers and taught up until they moved out to Ghana.

Diane said: “Father was a principal out in Ghana whilst mother worked in a maternity unit. There was an extremely high mortality rate in those days and mother would usually bring babies home with her, to care for, until the family were ready and had got themselves sorted, then mother would give their child back. She always had nought to three-month-olds ‘running’ around the house.”

Mrs Ruxton and her late husband finally settled in Shebbear, Devon in the mid to early 80s.

To date Mrs Ruxton has lived to see 24 Prime Ministers and four Kings and Queens.

The celebrations on June 18, were enjoyed by Mrs Ruxton and her family; daughter Diane, sons Martin and John, Grandson and wife Matthew and Feian and great-grandsons Lucas and Milo.