Birthday celebration for centenarian Vera

Now Rustington’s newest centenarian Vera Tatem celebrated reaching her three-figure milestone in style with her family and friends.

However, despite hitting 100, Vera, who is a resident at Rustington Hall, in Station Road, remains as feisty and fit as ever.

Speaking to the Gazette, during her party at the Booker Hall, in the main hall’s grounds, Vera said: “Oh, this has been a glorious day.

“I will never forget it. Getting my letter from the Queen was wonderful.

“It was a beautiful picture of her majesty. The postman was very pleased to give me her letter.”

But it wasn’t just the message from the Queen or the fact that friends and family had travelled from across Europe to be with Vera on her special day, that made her birthday unforgettable – the Strictly Come Dancing lover and self-confessed oldest fan of the show’s ballroom dancer extraordinaire, Anton du Bek, received a signed photo from her idol, wishing her a happy birthday.

“It was a wonderful gesture. I couldn’t be any happier,” she said.

Vera, a keen tennis player for most of her life, was born in 1913, to parents Norman and Bertha Douglass, in Dulwich, south London.

It was while playing tennis, on the number 10 court at Dulwich Tennis Club, that she met her husband-to-be, Norman Tatem, in her early 20s.

They married in 1937 and had their first and only child, Douglas, in 1939, moving to Petts Wood, Kent, just prior to the outbreak of the Second World War.

The village was in the middle of the notorious “bomb alley” and in 1943, their family home was levelled when a Luftwaffe bomb hit the house.

Then, not long after first bombing, a house the family was renting had all its windows blown out and piping burst when a bomb landed nearby. Miraculously, no one was injured in either explosion.

Vera and her family moved to Rustington in the 1960s. Norman died in 1989.

An accomplished pianist, Vera compiled the music 
for her 100th birthday bash and still plays the piano for Rustington Women’s Institute.

Her son Douglas, who gave a touching toast to his mother during Saturday’s party, said: “Vera’s restless spirt is indomitable. She is a great credit to her family, friends and everyone she meets. We all love her dearly.”

She has three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.