by Sue Read

GROWIING up on a farm after World War One, May Bannister’s jobs included taking the horse and cart to the local railway station where the staff would load the churns of milk on to the train, then loading May’s cart with empty churns to take back to the farm.

Mrs Bannister was born 100 years ago on Wednesday, May 11. She has been living at Kenwyn Residential Care Home for 12 years and staff gave her a birthday cake and a bit of a party.

Receiving a birthday card from the Queen was a big source of pride. Born in Buckinghamshire, Mrs Bannister lived in Surrey and Kent before moving to Sussex.

She met her husband, Charles, in Brighton. After marrying they moved to Staffordshire where they lived for about 40 years.

There Mrs Bannister worked for 10 years for the Rugeley Times, having her own column. She had always been interested in history and conservation.

Before that, Mrs Bannister had worked with the local bakers and confectioners, being in charge of the shop and office, the first woman to do so.

She was also the first woman to wear trousers in the shop because it was cold. Being a bakery meant early mornings.

She and Charles, a railway man, had married in Sussex. They moved to Crediton in the 1970s where Mrs Bannister became very involved with the work of the parish church and she worked for the Crediton Courier for a time.

But they returned to Rugeley. However, after Charles died some 10 years later, Mrs Bannister came back to Devon, this time for live at North Tawton where she helped the Rector and was close to taking her theology exam to become a member of the clergy when she had a stroke.

Another stroke meant she had to give up her home. But she did not give up writing. That was something she loved, she has had five books published, the fifth being out on her birthday.

Mrs Bannister remembers when they moved farms, she was given the cat to look after in its basket as well as her little brother in a pram. Her mother had the dog.

“My mother had to fetch water from the well about 30 yards away for washing, cleaning, everything.

“Like nearly everyone else, we didn’t have an indoors toilet. We had no electricity, you took a candle to go to bed. We didn’t have gas, either,” added Mrs Bannister.

Of life she says: “Do your best, live a clean life and believe in God, that’s about all people should do. You should be straight with people.”

A family party will be held tomorrow, Saturday, May 14.