Vera Brett looks back on her life on her 100th birthday

She spent her special day at her regular, the Unicorn Pub, with her Ladies at Lunch group.

Transcript

00:00A regular to the Unicorn Pub in Morden blew out her candles for the 100th time as she

00:05celebrates what she describes has been a century of good memories.

00:09Vera has volunteered her time to many different causes. She ran a companions group that met

00:15weekly at this pub that is now called Ladies at Lunch, and she even volunteered for the

00:20Women's Royal Naval Service, making her a D-Day veteran.

00:24Last year she lit a ceremonial beacon at His Majesty's Naval Base in Portsmouth to celebrate

00:29the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

00:32I volunteered to join the Wrens because in those days in the war if you were 18 you had

00:42to register and if you were a single girl you had to go and do something government

00:50wise as there was nothing local and I didn't fancy the land army. I volunteered. Day after

01:00my 18th birthday the Navy called me and I went up to London for the initial training

01:08and interviews and I was allocated to the what was then of course very hush hush radar

01:17section and I was a radar Wren throughout the war.

01:21The Morden History Society was invited to come along to celebrate and the chair shared

01:25a fond memory of Vera.

01:28Well I've known her since 58 years ago and heard all the stories about her life in the

01:35Navy and how her parents didn't want her to go and so it's lovely to be here with her.

01:43The owner of the pub who organised the event says that she is grateful for Vera's weekly

01:48presence adding that she's been a great friend and a welcoming face to the community.

01:53Every single Thursday when she comes over for lunch she would tell us a story either

01:59from when she was in the Marine or when she was running the club or she remembers the

02:06times when there were not even street lights in Morden so you just get fascinated by her

02:12I think it is part of history and her history is very important to Morden and to us as well.

02:20So a big happy birthday to Vera who says to always be kind and helpful.

02:25I've enjoyed my life, it's been a full life and I've been very very fortunate.

02:32Her advice to young people is to enjoy meeting new people and value face to face conversations

02:36with those around you.

02:38Kristen Hawthorne, KMTV

02:41For more information visit www.fema.gov