A ROSS-on Wye resident has just celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by her family.

Jean Crosland was born a century ago in May 1924 and has lived locally for many decades.

Jean moved from the New Forest with her late husband John after he retired from a career in the Ministry of Defence which involved various postings in Germany, Cyprus, Malta, Singapore, Aden and finally to the RAF Experimental Flying base at Boscombe Down near Salisbury.

They moved to Ross to be nearer their daughter Nina and her family in the late 1970s. Jean was both pleased and moved that just a few weeks before the celebration of her 100th birthday her youngest granddaughter Abby gave birth to Jean’s fifth great grandchild who was named Nina in memory of Jean’s daughter who sadly died of cancer in 2009.

Jean has lived independently on her own in Ross for many years and apart from coping with all the physical problems that are thrown up by the advancing years still greatly enjoys the company of her ever-supportive friends, with whom she weekly still plays a pretty mean game of bridge.

Jean was delighted that many of those very supportive friends and family were able to share with her the happy occasion of her 100th birthday at the Red Lion in Peterstow.

Jean says that her secret of long life is having two small glasses of red wine a day.