‘MARJORIE May, born on Christmas Day’ celebrated her 100th birthday on December 25.

She was joined by her son, David, at the Mallands care home in Abbotskerswell.

An official birthday greeting from the Queen arrived a couple of days earlier.

David said: ‘It’s great to see mum reach 100 and she has a very good home at the Mallands.

‘She’s always reciting the line “Marjorie May, born on Christmas Day”.

‘The staff are great and look after her well. She’s also been supported for many years by the Hammond sisters, Hazel and Carol, who visited from St James’ Church in Teignmouth.’

Marjorie May Cotton was born on Exmoor in 1915. She married Frank Cotton, who served in the RAF in the second world war, in 1941.

The couple moved to Dawlish in 1945 after the war, then Teignmouth, then they settled at Milber, Newton Abbot, from 1950.

Frank was an organist at St James’ Church, Teignmouth, for many years. He died in 1994.

Marjorie sang in the choir at St James’ until her husband died.

She founded Newton Abbot Bridge Club in the 1960s.

‘Bridge was her life, she loved it,’ said David. ‘She played right up until she was 90.’

Marjorie stayed at Milber until she showed signs of dementia and moved to Mallands in 2007.

She has two sons, David and Stuart, two grandsons and one granddaughter. Stuart lives in New Zealand.