Mabel Blackwell was born on February 11th, 1904, and she celebrated her 106th birthday surrounded by members of her family, at the Chestnuts Residential Home, last Thursday.

Mabel grew up in Banbury with her parents, brothers and sisters before going into service in Oxford. She met her husband Arthur at church and married him in 1926 aged 22, she had four sons and her family has always been very important to her.

Mabel always worked very hard and had many interests particularly knitting and her enthusiasm for life and boundless energy earned her the nickname Able Mabel.

She even took a part-time job at a chemists and cycled to work every day when she was 82.

Arthur sadly died in March 1987 and so Mabel moved to Ross to be near her son Brian and his family and help them run the Tudorville Post Office and Stores.

She has been mentioned in the Ross Gazette many times including when she was 102 and had a hip replacement.