Chocolate and whiskey are the secrets to a long life, according to the Kimberley House Nursing Home resident, Jane Powell who celebrated her 103rd birthday on Tuesday last week.

The former schoolteacher and miner's daughter, who worked in Wales and Marlborough before retiring to Salisbury, has been at Kimberley for five years and is the oldest resident ever to stay at the home.

Jane has led a full life and has some very interesting stories with which to entertain the staff at the home, including the time she used to help evacuees in World War II and also when she arranged for a bus full of children to visit the Queen's coronation.

Jane has travelled to South Africa on two occasions to visit her close family, but perhaps her best story and most impressive claim to fame is when she was a guest at the first wedding of film actor David Niven.

Jane still receives visits from her good friend Margaret and the nurses at the home are all in agreement that she is a great, feisty character.

The Matron at Kimberley, Andrea Caudrelier, said: "Jane still enjoys her whiskey, but you've got to be careful to get exactly the right amount of water or she won't hesitate to put you right."