Betty's 100th birthday

That early exercise paid off because on Monday she celebrated her 100th birthday with cake, cards, flowers, and a visit from her close family.

Betty, who lives in Ashridge Court in Barnhorn Road, was joined by daughter Kate Ford, who lives in Pages Lane, and grand-daughters Elizabeth and Laura.

Betty puts her long life down to plenty of exercise and said: “My parents never had a car, which was a bit unusual in those days. They just had bicycles, so we did a lot of cycling.”

She grew up in Bentham, in the West Riding of Yorkshire towards Lancashire, so was able to take advantage of the Pennines and even joined the elite club of those who climbed the Three Peaks.

Betty’s mother died when she was just seven years old and she remembers her father remarried and her new stepmother passed on a love of wild flowers. Betty also had strong connections with her aunt, who married into the famous chocolate family, Rowntree.

Betty went to Quaker school in York, then was one of the early female students of Bedford College, part of London University, where she studied sociology.

She became a medical secretary working in Harley Street, and then met husband Jack with whom she settled later in Wimbledon.

During the war however they were in London, with Betty working for the Friends Ambulance Unit and cycling around the centre of the city and on regular trips to the East End.

She and Jack lived in the centre of town but did not leave their building to go to the air raid shelter, preferring to stay in their own corridor where they liked to finish a crossword.

Jack was librarian of London University, and when they retired the couple moved out to Bridport in Dorset where they stayed for 20 years and created a warm and welcoming home where Betty frequently was hostess to family and friends.

Betty then lived in Polegate for 10 years, and came to Bexhill in 2009.

Her daughter Kate commented: “She has some wonderful stories of Yorkshire - she has a good sense of humour.”