THERE was a triple celebration at a Woodstock care home as a third resident joined the 100 club within the space of three months.

Mary Constance Thomas – known to most as Connie – celebrated with her friends, children and grandchildren at Spencer Court care home on Saturday.

She joined Molly Atkins who turned 100 on March 7 and Irene Clark who reached the milestone on March 17.

Louise Actell, a manager at the home, said: “This is the first time we’ve had three people who are 100. They really are remarkable and we’ve all been enjoying celebrating with them.”

Mrs Thomas’s daughter Jenny Anderson attended the celebrations, which included singers, delicious cakes and a buffet.

She said: “She’s really been enjoying it.

“I think it says a lot about the care they give here. We’ve been very pleased with it and they are very kind to her. They seem to be very fond of her.”

Mrs Thomas was born on June 22, 1915, in Hay-on-Wye.

Her father worked as a railway signalman and she had one sister, Eileen.

After school she trained as a primary school teacher and taught in Somerset and Birmingham.

She married Denys Thomas in 1946 and had two children, Jennifer and David.

The family moved to Oxford in 1956 and she taught at St Michael’s CofE school in New Marston, remaining there until her retirement in 1978.

She and Mr Thomas moved to Woodstock in 1971.

Mr Thomas died in 1996 and Mrs Thomas moved to Spencer Court nine years ago.

She has two grand- children, Stuart and Katrina, and three great-grandchildren.

Mrs Anderson said: “She was a lovely teacher. I saw her teach and she was very popular. She was one of those teachers who could walk into a room and the children would fall silent.”

Music has been a big part of Mrs Thomas’s life and she played piano for the elderly at Spencer Court before she moved there.

She also enjoys reading and used to complete two crossword puzzles a day.