One of the oldest people in the Isle of Man this week celebrated her 106th birthday.

Jessica Carter, who lives in a care home in Ramsey, was born on August 24, 1915, in Bootle, Merseyside, to Edith and William.

She is one of only a few remaining people alive to have been part of the war effort.

During the Second World War, she was an ambulance driver for the West Riding County Ambulance Services in Yorkshire for six years.

Jessica, known as Jessie, didn’t start her career until her father died and, at the age of 33, she went to work for Gordon Advertising and stayed there until she was 58.

Jessie loved this job and held a senior position sorting out adverts for Butlin’s and The Great Yorkshire Show.

In 1958 Jessie and Fred, her late husband, moved to the Isle of Man.

It wasn’t long before she got herself involved in the Home of Rest for Old Horses on Richmond Hill, Braddan, as she adores horses.

scones

First she ran the cafe and baked scones for a lot of appreciative customers.

She later became the secretary for the home’s charity, a role she had for 14 years.

After Fred died before their 26th wedding anniversary, relatives tried to encourage Jessie to move back to Yorkshire but she didn’t want to. She had settled and had built up many friendships in the Isle of Man.

To keep herself busy Jessie did voluntary work at Save the Children and Ramsey Cottage Hospital as a tea lady for 23 years and was a member of The League of Friends for Ramsey Cottage Hospital.

Her friend Janetta Taylor said: ’Whilst out walking with my whippets Molly and Archie I would bump into Jessie and her little dachshound Gilly.

’We would stop and have a chat. Unfortunately Gilly passed away in 2004.

’Then, in 2005, Molly had a litter of pups, which Jessie heard about from a friend.

’So she came to see them straight away and fell in love with all of them.

’But she decided she was too old to have one as she was worried about what would happen to it, if anything happened to her.

’I reassured her that we would have the dog back. She said no but asked if she could look after them when they were older, which she did until they passed away.’

She added: ’This was the beginning of a great friendship that developed into a mother/daughter relationship of fun, love and laughter until this day.’

During December 2019 Jessie aged 104 went into Grove Mount Residential Home in Ramsey for respite care.

She liked it so much that she decided that she wanted to stay at the home as she enjoyed the company of the residents, the meals and full-time care and this is where she still lives now.