Hadleigh woman celebrates her 108th birthday

Violet Shipp received a card from the King, wishing her "warming congratulations" as she celebrated her 108th birthday

A woman celebrating her 108th birthday has added a card from King Charles to her collection of birthday greetings from the Queen.

Violet Shipp, from Hadleigh, Essex, celebrated the milestone at the care home where she lives.

As she opened her card from the King, Mrs Shipp said: "I never thought I would get to this age."

The card read: "This brings our warmest congratulations and heartfelt good wishes on such a special occasion."

Mrs Shipp said she "never thought" she would get to such an age

Mrs Shipp was born in Blackfriars, London, in 1915, during World War One.

During World War Two, when she was in her 20s, she helped make valves for Phillips.

Most of her working life was spent as a civil servant in Elephant and Castle until she retired. She moved to Essex in 1948.

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The widow said she was partial to a glass of Cinzano with lemonade, enjoyed a banana sandwich and used to like a flutter on the horses "but I never won much".

She said her happiest memories were with her late husband Ben, to whom she was married for 40 years.