Horley resident celebrates her 100th birthday and reveals the secret to a long life

Joan Hancock was born Joan Cross in Birmingham on 19/08/1923. She went to a convent school until aged 19, helping with the teaching of the younger children.

In another life, Joan would have enjoyed a career as a teacher but war broke out and she worked briefly in the WRAF. Afterwards, she moved to Bristol to work in the civil service.

This is where she met her first husband Robert. They married in 1950 and adopted two children, Jeremy and Jayne. The family moved to Horley and then to Charlwood.

Robert died suddenly aged only 42 and around that time Joan was very ill with TB and had to spend time in a sanatorium.

Joan later worked for Gatwick Airport Authority where she met and married her second husband, Arthur in 1975.

Arthur loved driving and she enjoyed being a passenger whilst they travelled all around Europe in his Comma Van.

Arthur passed in 1992 and she continued to live in Charlwood until about 2000, volunteering for the local hospice.

Since then, Joan has lived in St Ives (Cornwall) and Portishead (Somerset) before returning to Horley eight years ago to be closer to family.

She continued her adventures abroad, travelling to Australia and New Zealand to visit her family at the age of 89.

Joan’s son, Jeremy said: “She puts her long life down to staying active and continuing to do things for herself. She currently lives independently in a flat at Wavertree Court. She takes a daily walk around the garden, only resorting to the use of a stick in the last two years.

“She celebrated her 100th birthday last Saturday with family and friends who are travelling from afar to be with her on the day.

“She is proud to have three grandsons (Scott - Warninglid, Sam and Jack - Christchurch, New Zealand) and three great-grandchildren, Hayden, Rocco and Luca.”