Sixth Northampton care home resident turns 100 in one year

She lives with three other amazing 100-year-olds including Nancy Summers, Isabella Samuels and Edna Grant (pictured). Eileen Rouse and Joan Gammage also marked their milestone birthdays in 2019 but unfortunately have since passed away.

Manager of St. Christopher's, Sarah Clarke, said: "Thelma is one of the longest residents at St. Christopher's and is a quite remarkable lady who is still keen to join in with events in the home including Friday's social distancing VE Day Celebrations, marking it with a glass of Pimms."

Thelma was born in India in the time of the British Raj, in the city of Bangalore, where her dad worked as a train driver.

Thelma met her husband Frank at a dance when she was training as a nurse and he was a soldier in the British Army who had been posted to India in 1936.

He later fought in Burma against the Japanese.

They came to England in 1947 with their young son Michael and went on to have two more sons and a daughter.

Frank continued in the Army and during the 1950's he was posted to Singapore for four years, where they enjoyed a happy life.

When they returned to England, they settled in Hemel Hempstead after Frank left the Army. Thelma returned to nursing, at Watford General Hospital before she went on to become a mental health nurse.

After Thelma retired in 1979, she and Frank came to Northampton where they settled in Duston. She then volunteered for Crossroads and helped care for people in their own homes.

Frank died in 1990 after the pair were married for 49 years.

Thelma decided to sell their bungalow and move into the then newly built flats at St. Martin's Court at St. Christopher's in Abington Park Crescent where she's now lived for 22 years.

The mum-of-four, who cooked for herself until she was 96 years old, has a total of 10 grandchildren, nine great grandchildren and two more on the way in late summer.