A Gorleston woman who was born four days before the events which sparked the First World War has just celebrated her 109th birthday.

Former private secretary Rita Farmer was born on June 24, 1914, just four days before the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand - one of the key moments which led to the Great War.

Miss Farmer added a card from King Charles to her collection of royal well wishes as she turned 109 on Saturday.

The fiercely independent Miss Farmer has lived at St Edmunds Residential Care Home on Marine Parade in Gorleston for 15 years. According to the website Oldest In Britain, Miss Farmer is Norfolk's oldest resident and the 35th oldest person in the country.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Rita Farmer enjoying a cup of tea on her 109th birthday. Picture - St Edmunds Residential Care HomeRita Farmer enjoying a cup of tea on her 109th birthday. Picture - St Edmunds Residential Care Home (Image: St Edmunds Residential Care Home)

Miss Farmer said the key to her long life is down to her not marrying, not having children and enjoying a glass of sherry at lunchtime.

Tucking into tea and biscuits on Tuesday, Miss Farmer said: "I should think the title of this article should be: there's nothing to report."

The centenarian enjoyed her birthday at St Edmund's care home with an afternoon tea party.

Miss Farmer was born in Tonbridge, Kent, and gained a place at the prestigious Tonbridge Grammar School.

Miss Farmer received a handmade birthday card from pupils of the school wishing her many happy returns.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Pupils from Rita's former school - Tonbridge Grammar School - sent her a handmade birthday card. Picture - St Edmunds Residential Care HomePupils from Rita's former school - Tonbridge Grammar School - sent her a handmade birthday card. Picture - St Edmunds Residential Care Home (Image: St Edmunds Residential Care Home)

In 1937, Miss Farmer went on to join the Erie Resistor company in London, where she worked as the private secretary to the managing director, Arthur Dyson.

Because the firm was of national and strategic importance, it was ordered in 1944 by the war office to relocate to the coast away from the danger of enemy bombing.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: FLASHBACK: Rita Farmer celebrating her 100th birthday at the St Edmunds residential home. Picture - NewsquestFLASHBACK: Rita Farmer celebrating her 100th birthday at the St Edmunds residential home. Picture - Newsquest (Image: Newsquest)

Later that year, Miss Farmer, office staff and charge hands moved to Great Yarmouth and took over the factory of Millers the shoemakers.

After retiring in 1973, Miss Farmer enjoyed travelling, mainly in Europe, and became fluent in French. She also worked for the blind during which she developed the skill of Braille.

After fracturing her hip in 2008 she moved to St Edmunds on the seafront.

The oldest people in the world

At the time of writing, the oldest living person in the world is 116-year-old American-Spanish woman María Branyas Morera.

She was verified by Guinness World Records as the oldest living person earlier this year at the age of 115.

Britain's oldest living person is Ethel Caterham, from Hampshire. She is currently 113 and her next birthday is in August.

The oldest recorded person of all time was French woman Jeanne Calment. She is the only person in history to be verified as living over the age of 120. Mrs Calment died in 1997 at the age of 122.

According to the United Nations, there are around 573,000 centenarians living in the world, which means approximately 0.007pc of the world's recorded 7.8 billion people are over the age of 100.

Between 2018 and 2020, the UK's life expectancy was 79.0 years for males and 82.9 years for females, according to the Office for National Statistics.