CENTENARIAN Evelyn Howe celebrated her 104th birthday on Wednesday with a special cake with friends at Dene Lodge Residential Home in Minehead.

Born in Brayford in Devon, Evelyn was brought up on the family farm at Brompton Regis and was a familiar sight helping her father run his butcher's shop across the border in Devon.

She was married later in life to Edwin Howe and became a step mother to his daughter.

She is now a grandmother to two children and a great grandmother to three. She also has a niece who visits every week and a nephew.

During her working life she was a housekeeper and carer and liked bee keeping and keeping chickens.

She also enjoyed working with her father at the butcher's and had a keen interest in gardening.

Evelyn moved to Minehead almost half a century ago to be nearer to her sister.

She still has no television or radio and enjoys spending time on her own, having breakfast in her room, although she does walk to the dining room each day for a hearty lunch with other residents.

Photo: Steve Guscott