Centenarians show the world that age really is just a number

Nicknamed Supergran by her loving family, great-great grandmother Dorothy Heron celebrated the milestone birthday with not one, but two parties.

At each she was surrounded by members from each of the five generations of her family - who all call her Supergran because of her independence and zest for life.

Daughter Pauline Roles said: “The family all call her Supergran because she still lives on her own and does her own cooking and washing.

“Up until a month ago she would quite frequently go in to town on her own on the bus.

“Sadly a month before her birthday she was a bit ill so she hasn’t been since.

“But she still managed to have two birthday parties and she hopes she’ll be back getting the bus soon.”

Dorothy was born in 1919 in Bolton, Lancashire.

The second youngest of 13 children, after leaving education she worked in the card room of a textile mill.

It was in the north-west she met husband, Stanley, and the couple went on to have two children - Pauline and Alan.

She relocated to Colchester with her daughter in 1982, living in Highwoods before moving to her current home just down the road in the St John’s.

Her family has since swelled and she now has 27 grandchildren of various generations, the youngest of which is nine-months-old.

Pauline said: “Mum is quite tiny, she is about 4ft 10ins, but considering how small she is she manages to get a lot done.

“She has also been known as a party girl in the past.

“She loves having such a huge family and tells everybody all about them whenever she can.

“Over her birthday week she has seen almost all of them for various celebrations.”

In her later years, Ms Heron has developed a passion for travel, one she shares with her daughter, to whom she is extremely close.

Pauline said: “She has been on safari, to the Tahj Mahal, visited New Orleans and Boston and many other places.

“Travelling is my passion really but I wouldn’t go without her.”

Pauline added: “She tells everybody the secret to her health is Manuka honey in the morning and a glass of red wine in the evening.”

Bill O’Brien, of Bromley Road, Frating, has also astounded his neighbours and loved ones with his active lifestyle and in particular his love of driving.

Bill O'Brien

Originally from Glasgow, he has become a much-loved member of the village community where he has lived for 50 years and neighbours rallied around to organise a surprise party for him.

Neighbour Nicole Haywood said: “A few of his elderly friends from the village were invited, too. We just made a few sandwiches and I made him a cake.

“He has a daughter but she lives in Kent and she came down a few weeks ago to see him. We didn’t want him to celebrate on his own.”

Bill used to be in the Merchant Navy and worked in the ship building industry in his early days.

He has always kept up his active lifestyle.

Nicole said: “He lives on whiskey, I think if you asked him he would say that’s the key to longevity.

“He still drives, he goes out in the car pretty much every day and will drive to Morrisons in Clacton to do his shopping.

“He went to pick up his daughter from Colchester North Station once but got a puncture in Cowdray Avenue.

“He left his car but slipped on some leaves and broke his ankle. He was in plaster for six weeks. As soon as that plaster came off he was straight back in his car, there’s no stopping that man.”

Nicole said Bill enjoyed gardening as it helped to keep him healthy. She added: “He tries to paint and fix the house himself, he will scrape off moss from his roof and he cuts the grass. He’s still very active.”