A PROUD villager and great-grandmother who kept fit by walking her dogs is celebrating her 100th birthday today.

Rita Hornsby, who was born in Harwell, near Didcot, a century ago, puts her longevity down to the quiet country life she spent in the village near Didcot.

And to mark the occasion, the centenarian is having a party today at Wantage Nursing Home in Garston Lane, with 15 members of her family and friends.

When asked the reasons for her long life, Mrs Hornsby said: “It is the miles of walking I did with my dogs until I lost most of my sight, gardening, living a quiet life and always eating good, fresh food.” Mrs Hornsby said highlights of her life included flying by Concorde to Iceland with her husband David in the 1970s, and visiting Buckingham Palace when he received an OBE from the Queen for services to the construction industry in 1973.

The mother-of-one grew up in Harwell where she spent most of her life before moving to the nursing home six months ago.

After going to school in the village, Mrs Hornsby, then Rita Palmer, became a hoausekeeper for the local doctor before marrying at St Matthew’s Church in 1939.

Her daughter, Angela Marriott, 68, of Didcot Road, Harwell, said: “Dad was a civil engineer working on Benson and Harwell aerodromes and they met on a blind date.

“Mum says she is shy but once you get to know her she is quite talkative.

“She has always led a very quiet life in Harwell village. Just a country life really.

People in the village got used to seeing my mum out and about walking her dogs.”

Mrs Hornsby’s husband David died in 2007 aged 93 She has one grandson, Andrew, 38, and three great-grandchildren, Joe, 11, Maisie, nine and Albie, six.