A CENTENARIAN who has worked for most of her life since the age of 14 attributes a long life to plenty of fresh air.

Land Girl Winifred Gray celebrated her 100th birthday at Ashbourne Court Care Home, in Salisbury Road, Andover, on Saturday.

A party was held for Mrs Gray with friends and family, as well as Test Valley Mayor Jan Lovell.

Mrs Gray was born in Fawley, in the New Forest, where her father worked as a keeper and watched the Titanic set sail before his daughter was born.

The family moved to Dorset and on leaving school at the age of 14, Mrs Gray quickly found work helping on farms.

She said: “I left school on the last day of June and started work on the following Monday.

“I worked on the dairy and I had to walk a mile to fetch the cows in.

“I have been on farms nearly since I could walk – I used to go over to the local farm and taught myself how to milk cows at the age of 10.

“We had animals for my whole life.”

Mrs Gray was in the Land Army for three years before she married husband Viv, who also worked on a farm, in 1951. The couple moved to Longstock and later to Over Wallop 25 years ago to retire.

Mrs Gray, who has lived at Ashbourne Court for almost three years, said about the secret to a long life: “Living outdoors. I have never had make-up on my face and no fancy stuff on my body. I let everything go natural bar my hair as I was always particular about my hair.”