FORMER Exmoor woman Muriel Mason (nee Westcott) celebrated her 104th birthday by popping out to her local public house for a carvery lunch with family and friends.

Birthday celebrations were spread over three days to accommodate those who wanted to visit Muriel, who was born on her family’s farm at Tarr Steps and later lived in Exford, Dulverton, Porlock and Bilbrook, and now lives in Wembdon.

Muriel, who is still an avid Free Press and Exmoor Magazine reader to keep abreast of West Somerset news, offered tea and cake to visitors to her home, as well as enjoying a meal in The Quantock pub and carvery.

Her friend for the past 60 years, Kathleen Martyn, visited with her son David, and her nephew Fred Westcott telephoned before Muriel went for lunch with her daughter, Valerie, son-in-law Nigel Webber, and Gill Ryder, her carer for past seven years, as well as other family members who also care for her, Sue and Paul Sumner, Gill’s grandsons Harvey and William.

Later in the afternoon, Muriel’s grandson Miles and his partner Hannah with their six-month old daughter Kate went to see her.

Kate, who shares her middle name Isabel with her great-grandmother, enjoyed playing with one of the birthday celebration balloons that Gill had bought for her.

On Monday (November 11), the day of Muriel’s birthday, her niece Renie and husband Malcolm Smith also telephoned.

In the afternoon, another niece Joan and husband Johnnie Atkins, visited, and Gill and her granddaughter Blake arrived to help blow out the birthday candles.

After school Muriel’s grandson Richard and his partner Louise visited with their children, Muriel’s great-grandchildren Jack, aged 12, Harry, aged eight, and six-year-old Millie.

They enjoyed high tea together and more singing and cake with candles to blow out.

Muriel also enjoyed receiving birthday cards from friends and family, including from niece Bridget and husband Adrian Baldwin, with flowers, photographs, and chocolates.

Daughter Val Webber, a trained nurse who married a local farmer, said: “We feel very fortunate to still have Muriel with us.

“Unfortunately, her husband of more than 50 years, Bertram, passed away in 2008.

“She has lived on in the home they enjoyed together.”

Muriel’s early life was spent on the Tarr Steps farm with her mother Polly, father Fred Westcott, sister Irene, and brothers Herbert, Tom, and Sydney, from where she would walk across the ancient clapper bridge and through the woods to school in Hawkridge.

Later, the family moved to Highlands, Exford, where Muriel finished her schooling at the age of 14 to go to work in Batchelor’s grocery shop as a bookkeeper and also helped her mother run their home as a guest house.

She met her husband Bertram at a dance in the village hall and they married in April, 1953.

During the Second World War Muriel worked in the civil nursing reserve looking after wounded soldiers and airmen in Gloucester General Hospital.

In August, Muriel returned to visit the Hawkridge Revel, where she saw great-great-niece Chloe ride in the gymkhana.