A Beaminster resident celebrated her hundredth birthday yesterday.

Dorothy Violet Miller was born in a sweet shop in West London on April 4, 1918.

Dorothy was one of 13 children, and today still has a brother and sister alive, with Dorothy being the oldest.

The year 1918 saw the end of the First World War, Russia turn to the Communist regime, and the Romanov blood-line end.

Through her lifetime, Dorothy has been married three times. Her first marriage was at the age of 18 and at the age of 22 she married for a second time and only child, Winston Edward George West Ormsby.

Through Winston, Dorothy has three grand children - Paula, Alisa and Robin - who in turn have produced nine great-grand children.

Their names are Pamela, Christopher, Melissa, Dean, Jodie, Daniel, Hannah, Joshua and Alicia.

Through her great grand children, Dorothy also has four great-great grand children - Gracie, Poppy, Oscar and Peaches - with another three on the way.

Dorothy moved to Hinton St George 75 years ago, where she became the local post lady for five or six years.

She then moved to Crewkerne to become a carer, after which she moved to Snowdon Farm where she grew cider apples, produced cider and looked after bees and calves.

After her time in Crewkerne, Dorothy moved to Common Water Lane, Broadwindsor, where she made fancy dress costumes for a living.

She lived there for 22 years before moving to Beaminster, following the death of her third husband, and she has lived there ever since.

While living in Beaminster, at the age of 65, Dorothy cycled to Broadwindsor House, where she worked as a kitchen assistant.

Her granddaughter Alisa said: "Grandma was well into her 80s when she eventually gave up cycling.

"During her cycling days, she was arrested for speeding, probably made worse because she had her son on the back."

Dorothy started off living at Riverside, then Green Cross Drive, and finally finishing up in St Mary's Gardens, where she still lives to this day.

She still remains active, and current hobbies include knitting, baking, playing Whist, reading, signing in the choir and completing word searches.

Dorothy used to knit for premature babies, sending her finished items off to local hospitals. She still knits for her grandchildren and local charities.

Alisa said: "She still cooks all her own meals, relying on nobody. Her signature dish being her bread pudding and homemade stuffing."

Dorothy loves animals, and pets have included a rabbit and a ferret, which lived in the same hutch. Alisa remembers her grandmother taking the ferret for a walk on its lead.

Dorothy and her family celebrated the her big day with a party at her home, with more than 60 people attending.

On her birthday, Dorothy was taken to Hinton St George for high tea by her son, daughter-in-law, a grandchild, three great-grandchildren and her great-great grandson.