IT seems quite possible that Crediton resident Mrs Margaret Ware could be a world record holder – and all because of her age.

Mrs Margaret Ware celebrated her 104th birthday this week, but can say she is only 26 because that is how many "proper" birthdays she has had. She was born on Leap Year’s Day, February 29, 1916.

That means this year was one of her special birthdays, when she could have a proper birthday instead of having to make do with the wrong date.

It is thought she is the oldest Leap Year baby in the UK and equalling the record of a lady living in Florida who holds the title of oldest Leap Year baby in the USA.

A Hampshire lady, Mrs Ware was born two years after the start of World War One. She grew up and got married at Lymington.

Her husband, John, worked at Southampton Airport during the last war when Southampton was one of the prime targets being a port with the railway and the airport as well as RAF stations close by.

She remembers their house shaking on one occasion when the airport was bombed.

She and John were married for 50 years, had three children, a son and two daughters, but John died in the 1980s.

A few years later Mrs Ware moved to Crediton to be nearer to her daughter. One grandson worked in Crediton for a number of years.

She has five grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. She received almost 20 cards and had celebrations with family and friends over two weekends as well as friends and her daughter, Sylvia, with her on Monday, February 20.

She is a lively lady and used to like nothing better than catching a bus to a seaside town for a walk most days, not so easily done these days.

Sue Read