'Whisky and ginger, clotted cream and plenty of chocolate' is the secret to 105 years, says Sutton's Joan Buet
A woman from Sutton celebrated her 105th birthday and shared the secret to a long life – “whisky and ginger with clotted cream, and plenty of chocolate”.
Joan Buet, who was born on September 22, 1919, in Cardiff, has experienced a lifetime of changes in the last 105 years.
She has witnessed the austerity of the war and post-war years, as well as technological advancements and social shifts, all the way up to the present day.
She said she can’t believe how many cars there are on the road now compared to her first fifty years.
Joan began her birthday weekend with her care staff at Kingfisher Court, in Sutton, who took her on a visit to the pub.
She received a beautiful bouquet of flowers from the care home's CEO, a special balloon display, cards, and presents from the staff, and a cake that was shared with the residents.
On her birthday, Joan went out for lunch with her family at her favourite restaurant.
She received many cards and presents, along with a framed card containing special wishes from the King and Queen on the occasion of her special birthday. Joan said she was very “excited” and felt “lucky” to have such a special weekend.
The 105-year-old loves her life and shared how her goal is to live until she's 108, surpassing her mother who lived to 107.
When asked about the secret to her long life, Joan said: “Oh, I love a whisky and ginger, and I must have my clotted cream and plenty of chocolate, darling.”
Joan was one of three children. Her father was a Chief Engineer in the Merchant Navy and was away much of the time, leaving their mother at home with the children. But at the age of nine, her father was killed at sea.
Following this, Joan and her siblings went to the Royal Merchant Navy boarding school in Bearwood, Wokingham.
After finishing school, Joan became a telephonist at the Post Office. She worked her way up to the position of supervisor.
While on holiday in Torquay, Joan met her future husband, Frank. Joan and Frank married in September 1944 and made their home in Plymouth, where they went on to have three children. In 1964, the family moved to Carlisle for Frank's work.
Sadly, Frank passed away in his late 1950s, and Joan never remarried – continuing to live on her own in Carlisle until the coronavirus hit in 2020, when she went to stay with her daughter in Birmingham.
In October 2022, Joan moved into Kingfisher Court Care Home in Sutton to be near her son, where she still happily resides.
Along with being a mother of three, Joan is also a grandmother with great grandchildren and a great-great-grandchild on the way.
In a touching Facebook post, Kingfisher Court shared: “A very big happy birthday to this incredible lady.
“Joan has reached the magical age of 105 and had a wonderful weekend with friends, family and fellow residents.”
From all of us at Mansfield and Ashfield Chad, we wish you a happy and prosperous 105th birthday.
Thank you for sharing this special celebration with us.