Jean is still going strong at 101

A former bank clerk celebrated her 101st birthday with a glass of sherry and a cake.

A party was held at Red Roofs Nursing Home, Grange Road, Newark, on Tuesday for Mrs Jean Sargent.

Mrs Sargent was born and grew up in Auchterarder, Perthshire, Scotland, where she lived until the 1940s.

She worked in a solicitor’s office, bank and civil service office.

Mrs Sargent married her husband, Mr Cecil Sargent, in the early 1940s.

They lived in Burnley, then Solihull, and had three children — Mr John Sargent, Mrs Helen Moran and Mr Bob Sargent.

They were married for around 20 years, until Mr Sargent died, aged 50.

Mrs Sargent moved to Newark to be closer to her son, Mr John Sargent, who worked in the area.

She has four grandchildren, Mr Gavin Sargent, Mr Stephen Moran, Mr Peter Moran and Mrs Claire Eckert, and seven great-grandchildren, Charlotte, Amelia, Lucas, Dylan, Henri, Dylan and Francesca.

She enjoys board games, including Scrabble; reading and being in the garden.

Asked what her secret to a long life was, she said: “I never had much wrong with me until I was 95 so I have been very lucky.”