100-year-old Lewes resident reminisces as she celebrates her centenary year

Bridget Dimond was born on December 17, 1918 in the District of Bath.

Mrs Dimond was raised an only child by her father, Arthur Hutchins and stepmother, after her mother passed away while she was quite young.

Her father worked for Lloyds Bank and they moved often as he was transferred to new branches as a branch manager.

When the Second World War broke out Bridget signed up for the Auxiliary Territorial Service and was trained to be a driver.

She drove for officers taking them to and from postings in Britain.

It was at one of these stations that she met her first husband, Ebenezer Cunningham known as Sandy who served as a Royal Engineer. They were married on April 15 1944, both aged 25.

After the war they lived in Ghana for many years as gift shop proprietors selling local crafts to visitors especially passengers on visiting cruise ships. This was a very happy time in her life. They used to return home on leave every 5 years or so.

One of these visits was for her Father’s funeral in 1953, who died aged 78.

At the end of their contract they returned to Britain and set up home in Saltdean.

Tragically, her husband died from an asthmatic attack at the age of 48.

Bridget now a widow, worked for a time supporting blind veterans at the centre near Rottingdean.

She then moved to Lewes and Ringmer to work for East Sussex County Council. After she had settled in her new job, she then moved in to Penn Crescent Ringmer.

When she was 63 she married for the second time and became Mrs Bridget Dimond.

Leslie was an engineer and Bridget travelled with him to many of his job locations in the U.K, as well as across the world, she enjoyed this time of travelling very much.

She was widowed once again when Leslie passed away in May of 2004.

Bridget started to struggle to manage the house on her own and in 2006 sold it and moved across the Village to a retirement flat.

After a series of falls and broken bones, Bridget became a resident of Lime Tree in October 2011.