Former teacher from Deeping St James celebrates 106th birthday

A popular former teacher with a marvellous mind has celebrated her 106th birthday.

Prosecco was popped to celebrate the birthday of Nancy Titman from Deeping St James, who turned 106 on Sunday (June 2).

She celebrated her birthday with dozens of friends and family at Braeburn Lodge Care Home in Deeping St James, which she moved into at Christmas time after suffering health issues.

Anthea Wray, Nancy’s daughter, said: “My mother had a wonderful day.

“She sat like the queen in the corner with lots of people coming to see her.

“It was a really special day.”

Nancy, who was born at 9 Bridge Street, Deeping St James, on June 2, 1918, enjoyed bubbly, cake and party food and had more than 80 cards to open including one from King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

A highlight of the day for Strictly Come Dancing superfan Nancy was the video messages she received from the BBC show's judges Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke.

Anthea describes her mum as being marvellous mentally but that physically she is becoming more frail.

Having attended The Cross School in Deeping St James, Nancy - who was Christened Edith Swift - went to Stamford High School before training to be a teacher at St Peter’s College in Peterborough.

She taught in Fulham in the 1930s before the Second World War meant evacuation to Buckinghamshire. She then worked in Hayes in Middlesex before returning home to marry Robert Titman from Northborough in 1947 and taught in Deeping St Nicholas for 21 years.

Children remain an important part of Nancy’s life - she and Robert had four: Anthea, Bob, Marion and Deb, and Nancy now has nine grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren, with four generations of the family living in the Deepings.

She is a published author and, aged 96, wrote a book about her younger life in the Deepings.

Nancy is just a few years younger than the UK’s oldest living person, 114-year-old Ethel May Caterham.