WHEN Joyce Stanbury celebrated her 90th birthday on Sunday, she saw five generations of her family get together.

More than 30 people were at the lunch at The Three Little Pigs in Crediton to mark the birthday which was really the next day, Monday, March 11.

Mrs Stanbury, who lives in Crediton, was born in Plympton, the first child of Elsie Elizabeth Poole and Percy James Metherell.

She spent time with her grannies at Moorpark, Awlington and went to Awlington Primary School, having to milk two cows before setting off each morning. Young Joyce would help her aunt as well.

Her parents moved around a lot due to farm labour work and Joyce went to Torrington Senior School for a term.

She met William dancing in Crediton in January 1950. They went to various dancing competitions, winning the best Mississippi Dip. William and Joyce married on December, 15 1951 in the Congregational Church at Crediton.

Joyce has been a long-term member of the Trefoil Guild at Crediton. Sadly, she lost her husband suddenly in November, 1969, leaving her with three children Beryl, Andrew and Pamla.

Beryl emigrated to Australia in 1977 and has two children.  Andrew married twice but has no children and Pamla married Barry Powlesland in March, 1980.

They had Lisa and Emma who both went to the Hayward’s School and then QE, often taking part in Greensword Majorettes’ displays.

Lisa met Edward Daw at a dance in Crediton. Their first child was Katherine, followed by Bethand four years later. Lisa and Edward married in 2002 but Edward died suddenly in 2003, 10 days after Bethand was born.

Katherine had daughter Skylar on January 15, 2019, making the fifth generation, all female, of Joyce’s family, all living in Crediton.

Joyce was the eldest of 10. She has four grandchildren, seven great grand children and now the one great great grandchild.