A "very family orientated" resident at a Harpenden care home celebrated her 100th birthday with friends and family last week.

Marjorie Ditchfield, who is a resident at Quantum Care’s Willow Court care home, celebrated her big day on Tuesday, December 30.

Marjorie was born in London and brought up by her mother Ada and father Richard in Surrey, but her father passed away at the age of 43 when Marjorie was only eight years old.

She has two older half sisters, Elsie and Muriel and a brother, Howard.

The 100-year-old previously attended a girl’s school in Surbiton, Surrey and went on to attend a secretarial school in Kingston, Surrey. Her first job was at Carbonum Carbon Paper near St Pauls Cathedral, London. She then became a secretary for Gaze Builders in Surrey.

In 1941 Marjorie met her husband to be Kenneth Vernon-Smith.  At this time, she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and went on to train other young WAAsF in Morecombe, Lancashire. 

In 1942, Marjorie married Kenneth in Aldershot and they went on to have three children, Gail, Anthony and Paul.  

After Kenneth passed away, Marjorie then remarried Kenneth Ditchfield, who already had a daughter Hilary and they lived in Redbourn. 

St Albans & Harpenden Review:

Marjorie Ditchfield was joined by friends and family to celebrate her big day.

Gail, Marjorie’s daughter, said: "What makes my mother special?

"Basically the fact that she has reached the age of 100 in relatively good health. She has always had a good sense of humour. 

"The fact that she was widowed twice, once at the early age of 46 when she was the landlady of the White Hart Hotel and again when she was 60 when she had been married only three and a half years to my stepfather Ken Ditchfield who was known in St Albans as the manager of the Westminster Bank.

"Marjorie has always been a very family orientated person and today we have celebrated her 100th Birthday at my brother’s house in Harpenden with many family members."

When Kenneth passed away, Marjorie moved to Torquay where she spent many happy years with her good friend Bob Stackhouse. Marjorie moved to Codicote to be nearer to her family after Bob died. 

Marjorie became a resident at Willow Court in 2014. 

On Tuesday, November 11, Marjorie was presented with an HM Armed Forces Badge by Town Mayor Councillor Mary Maynard in recognition of her services during the War.