A PLYMOUTH woman has celebrated her 100th birthday.

Jessie Durant remains very active and still does the Times crossword each morning.

Born in London, Jessie, nee Lingwood, came the West Country with her parents who were in the hotel trade.

They had hotels in Bodmin, Minehead and Yelverton. She had one brother known as Bill who was in the Royal Marine Band.

Jessie married her husband Tony in 1936. He was also from London, a watch-maker and jeweller who later took over the family business on Union Street before World War II.

Their Plymouth property was bombed out and Jessie and their two young daughters went to live in Salcombe.

Tony stayed in Plymouth to carry on with his business and to continue as an air raid warden until he joined the RAF and was put to work on special instruments including the famous Dam Busters bomb sights and instruments.

The family returned to Plymouth after the war and Jessie still lives in the city with her daughter Anne. Her other daughter Jill lives in France.

Jessie has three grandchildren and seven great grandchildren and is "doing very well for 100" says her daughter Anne, who added "she rose to the occasion on her birthday".