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A MASS of colourful flowers surrounded Ruth Atherton as she celebrated her 101 st birthday at Eastcotts Nursing Home, near Haverhill this week.

Ruth was joined for her birthday celebration by her daughter Rene Davey, friends from nearby Kedington, as well as staff and some of the other 58 residents at the Calfrord Green home.

Rene sad her mother had lived at her own Cottage in Great Thurlow until March, when she broke her hip, and then moved into Eastcotts in May. Until then she had lived alone and looked after herself, with some support from Rene and a daily helper.

Ruth moved to Great Thurlow just after the war with her husband when he got a job on he Vestey Estate. Her husband died when he was 62 and she has been a widow for 39 years. She has one grandson, Paul Davey. A member of a big family from West Wickham, Ruth had a brother who also lived to be 101.

Staff at Eastcotts described Ruth as “a lovely lady” and said she followed everything that was going on around her. Ruth herself could not say what the secret of her long life was.

She said: “I never thought I would live to be 101. I had a hard life when I was young, we were very poor and often hungry. “It is very different today, people all used to help each other then, but they don’t now. I am very lucky, they look after me very well here.”

CAPTION: Surrounded by flowers ... Ruth Atherton with daughter Rene Davey.