Uckfield woman celebrating 100th birthday looks back on life as a ‘farmer’s wife’

Ruth Cottingham was born in Trowbridge, near Bath on February 7 1920 and lived there until she became an adult. After spending part of her working life as a secretary, she met her husband Alan on his farm, Hartfield Farm in Lewes in 1960, marrying him almost a decade later in 1968.

Now a ‘farmer’s wife’, Ruth found herself in charge of 20 geese, two chickens and two ginger cats: Simon and Sammy. She also supported her husband with his work around the farm, caring for his black dog bobby and helping him with their herd of Red Sussex Cattle: the iconic bovine of the Sussex wealds.

Described as a confident lady, willing to help anyone, Ruth became a member of the church community when she retired. She still has friends there now, many of them in their 80s and 90s, who often visit her to read the bible and pray.

Though Ruth does not have any children and her remaining family live abroad, she has been living in Copper Beech Nursing Home since 2011 and is considered by staff to be a ‘much loved member of the Copper Beech Family’.

One of Ruth’s friends, Marion Salmon, said: “I always found Ruth to be a calm, interested person who would listen to all my problems and then make a really sensible comment.

“She may not have totally understood the complexity of what I was trying to say, but the comments were soothing. We could always have a laugh together”.