FRIENDS and family filled a West Devon residential home to celebrate the 102nd birthday of Mary Wagstaff on Sunday. The party, held in her honour, saw Mary?s friends, family and well-wishers fill the visitors? room, conservatory and any other available space, to celebrate her exciting life. Mary, who now lives at Barn Park Residential Home in Halwill, was born in Hertfordshire. She played an active role in the second world war. Anna Scantlebury, co-owner of the home and great friend of Mary?s, said: ?She was a Company Sergeant Major in the Princess Louise Regiment in Kensington London, where she had a lot of fun. She was 36 when she went into the war, so that?s how she managed to keep so many friends, most of them are only about 80.? Mary enjoys talking about her ?war days?, with residents, staff and visitors who are always keen to listen to the many intriguing stories. Anna enjoys listening to one particular story about the war: ?She had a lot of fun, particularly taking her girls to a dance at an officers? mess. She had to get them back in by a bedtime curfew and as soon as she got them in, they went out the back door to go back to the dance!? After the war, Mary and her husband lived in London, where her husband was a stockbroker, but after he died, she moved. ?She lived in Milton Keynes in a sheltered housing unit, and she must have been invaluable to them, because she did the shopping for everyone and ran the bingo,? said Anna. Despite enjoying her time in Milton Keynes, Mary decided to move again and started looking in the Devon region. Upon reading about Barn Park, she decided, at the age of 89, to take a holiday to the home. Mrs Scantlebury recalls: ?she came to Barn Park to see if she liked it. I took her to Castle Drogo and places like that and just before her 90th birthday she became a resident?. Since moving, Mary has been involved in everything, becoming a committee member for the Hallwill WI, at the age of 90, and a member of the social club. Anna said: ?When she?s on her feet, she?s very active. She has a friend who lives next door and Mary goes around there to have a cup of tea or coffee almost everyday. ?She goes to the Winsford Community Centre every Thursday to meet friends and exchange gossip!?, and, as the resident who has been at Barn Park the longest, twelve years, she is known as, the ?leading spokesman?. Each birthday seems to be quite an event, and on her 100th ?she was taken up in an aeroplane by a local doctor to celebrate 100 years of Mary living and 100 years of flight?. Mary is still enjoying life with visits to friends, lunch dates and trips out, and everyone at Barn Park knows who she is and her many wonderful stories. Anna says ?she?s a lovely lady, with a good sense of humour . . . a very good sense of humour, and intelligence?.
