Doris celebrates her 100th birthday at The Willows nursing home

Taking life as it comes, good or bad, keeping busy and enjoying a drink.
 
They are the secrets of living to 100, according to Doris Potter who celebrated her big day at The Willows Nursing Home, in Shakespeare Road, Bedford, on Tuesday .
 
Home manager Cyril Fomonyuy said: “Doris has lived at The Willows since 2006. She is a cheerful and very sociable lady and likes to be independent. She is very happy with the service provided and frequently says she is grateful her daughter found her a place at The Willows.”

Sharing her birthday at a surprise party with a beautiful cake baked by the home’s chef were her daughter Patricia, staff and fellow residents.
 
Born in south London, nee Johnson, she was one of two siblings.
 
Her sister Joyce, who died in 2003, was known locally for having run The Bedford Arms in Kempston with her husband Frank.
 
Doris met her husband Harold Potter while they were both working for Handley Page, the aircraft manufacturer based at Cricklewood Aerodrome, which ceased to exist in 1970.
 
Harold was a mechanic and Doris worked in the office.

At various times they lived in north London, Essex and Suffolk before moving to Bedford in 1984.

In later years Harold was a salesman for different companies.

Doris continued with secretarial work, mainly in London, but included a spell during the 1960s as secretary to the governor of Hollesley Bay borstal in Suffolk.  She also ran a village shop for a while.

The couple had two daughters, Barbara, who died four years ago and Patricia.
 
Barbara lived in the US for most of her adult life and had one son Karl, now in his late-40s.

Patricia has three sons, Tom, in his mid-40s, and twins Jack and Sam in their late-30s.
 
Patricia said: “My mother did not have any particular hobbies, but liked gardening, cooking and reading and both she and Harold loved camping.”