Essex great great grandmother Violet ‘Bunny’ Honeybun has celebrated her 104th birthday and puts a daily crossword down to keeping her mind sharp.

East Anglian Daily Times: Colne care homes chief executive, Sara Thakkar, visited in person to give Bunny Honeybun a bouquet of flowers to celebrate her big day Picture: COLNE HOUSINGColne care homes chief executive, Sara Thakkar, visited in person to give Bunny Honeybun a bouquet of flowers to celebrate her big day Picture: COLNE HOUSING (Image: COLNE HOUSING)

Bunny celebrated the milestone on May 13 at her home in a retirement scheme in Ironside Walk, Manningtree.

She spent the day with friends from the retirement home and was visited by her granddaughters Lisa and Laura.

Bunny said: "I am happy with my life. I don't feel I have wasted it, I have done so much. I have a lovely home and friends and family and have been lucky with my health.

"I do a cryptic crossword every day to keep my mind active and a lot of reading. The residents at Ironside Walk call me the Crossword Queen."

East Anglian Daily Times: The Honeybun family and care home staff gathered round to watch Bunny, 104, from Manningtree, blow out her candles Picture: COLNE HOUSINGThe Honeybun family and care home staff gathered round to watch Bunny, 104, from Manningtree, blow out her candles Picture: COLNE HOUSING (Image: COLNE HOUSING)

Bunny, who has been deaf for 34 years, was named Violet when she was born in 1915 in Erith, Kent. She was the seventh of eight siblings.

After being asked to leave school at 14 to do domestic work she eventually forged the career she wanted as a manager in the Post Office.

In 1938, she married Henry Honeybun, who served with Grenadier Guards and later became a London bus driver, and took the nickname Bunny after his surname.

Henry died on their wedding anniversary in 1979, aged 66, and Mrs Honeybun never remarried.

Bunny moved to Kirby Cross in Essex in 1981, where she was very involved in the community, before living in Clacton and then Ironside Walk 12 years ago.

The centenarian, who has five great grandchildren and three great great grandchildren, got back in contact with her youngest sister and only surviving sibling, who is just 100 years old and lives in Hampshire, after staff at the housing association helped the family to reconnect.

Sara Thakkar, chief executive of Colne, which runs Ironside Walk housing association, also visited to present Mrs Honeybun with a bouquet of flowers.

"It was a delight to meet Bunny and celebrate her birthday with her," she said.

"She is the oldest resident we have living in a Colne home and has a fantastic positive outlook."