A woman who became a wartime milkwoman celebrated her 100th birthday with a glass of champagne.

Phyllis Bish was born in 1902, the year the Boer War ended, and at the age of 14 became a trainee teacher at the village school in Slindon, near Arundel.

She was drafted into the classroom at an early age to replace male teachers sent to the Western Front during the First World War.

Mrs Bish's father died in the 1916 Battle of the Somme and after the war she went into service as a maid. She moved to Worthing in the early Twenties, married her husband Albert and had two children, Doreen, now 67, and Eileen, 71, who both live in the town.

Doreen, of Midhurst Drive, Goring, said: "For four years during the Second World War my mother had a milk round with a horse and cart for the Highfield and Oakland dairy.

"I used to help her once or twice a week, going out at about six in the morning in all weathers, once with bombs dropping around us.

"She was doing her round in Crabtree Lane, Lancing, and there were guns going off all all over the place. She put a nosebag on the horse and we ran into somebody's house for shelter.

"But the only injury she received was when the cart ran over her foot."

Mrs Bish was also a firewatcher during the war, looking out for German incendiary bombs.

In her later working life she became a hotel chambermaid, working at the Beach, Burlington and Ardington hotels.

Mrs Bish lives in sheltered housing off Brougham Road, East Worthing, and remains independent, pushing a trolley around Safeway or Marks & Spencer every week.

She has travelled all over the world, including Australia, Malaysia and western Europe.

After champagne with Mayor of Worthing Councillor Eric Mardell, Mrs Bish was guest of honour at a family disco at the SmithKline social club.