MORE than 50 family and friends from across the country came together to help Esther Churchill celebrate her 90th birthday.

Esther of Sticklepath enjoyed a party at Portmore Golf Club in Barnstaple to mark the occasion.

She was born in Barnstaple on February 13, 1920, the oldest of four daughters to Ethel and Henry Thomas.

She grew up on Penhill Farm in Fremington with her sisters Christine, Margaret and Maureen.

After training at Barnstaple's Radford and Yeo dress makers she moved to Bristol during the Second World War where she worked at a dress makers until the city was heavily bombed and she returned to North Devon.

She then worked as a 'clippie' on the county's buses.

Back in Barnstaple she met Edwin Churchill, a Welsh soldier on training in North Devon and a former professional footballer for Charlton.

They were married on February 8 in 1941 and had five children, Roy, Gwyn, Jean, Donald and Terry. Edwin died of cancer in 1977.

As well as being a housewife and mother Esther worked in the canteen at the North Devon Technical College, in the sterilisation department of North Devon District Hospital and as a waitress.

After retiring she was a volunteer driver for meals on wheels.

She has 11 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren and has lived in the same house in Sticklepath for more than 60 years.