WHEN Queenie Phillips' family told her they were taking her out for her 101st birthday, they told her she was going blueberry picking.

She was not.

Instead the great-great-grandmother from Bicester ended up flying over the town in a glider as a treat to celebrate her landmark.

Her family arranged for the former St Mary's Catholic Primary School pupil, who has lived in Bicester all her life, to fly from Bicester Gliding Centre after she told them she had flown in a plane and helicopter but never a glider.

However, when she was told she was taking to the skies instead of foraging for fruit, she was a little taken back to say the least.

Great-grandson Luke Phillips, 28, who helped arrange the surprise, said: "She sat there and said she was going to give me a thick ear.

"But at the end when she came back down she said she would let me off.

"She really loved it, she was up in the glider for about 25 minutes with Terry Mitchell, the pilot.

"For her 100th birthday last year we had a family get-together and threw a bit of a party so we thought we would do something different this year."

Mrs Phillips, nee Butler, was married to husband Frank from 1936 until he passed away in 1971 and has three children, six grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

She marked her 101st birthday on April 19.

Mr Phillips said: "She said she would fly in the glider again.

"She is really active and really quite independent, my grandad takes her shopping twice a week to get her out of the hose.

"She is really cool and pretty adventurous."

Alan Twigg from Bicester Gliding Centre helped arrange for Mrs Phillips to travel in the club's latest asset, a twin Acro 3 glider.

He said: "Queenie climbed in herself and was very relaxed, despite threatening to clip Luke's ear for setting her up.

"In the event she had a marvellous flight with Terry and she even forgave Luke when she landed and was as chirpy and unconcerned as if it were an everyday event.

"The Bicester Gliding Centre was pleased to host the family and wish Queenie a very happy 101st birthday."