IT TAKES something special to reach the grand old age of 105.

Isobel Tresnan, who now lives at a residental home in Bearsted, near Maidstone, puts her long life down to lemonade, her strong Catholic faith and the need to stick around a while longer yet to keep a beady eye on her family.

Mrs Tresnan was born into the Davies family on March 11 1900 in Ballymote, County Sligo, Ireland, when Queen Victoria was still on the throne, cars were led by men waving flags and her country of birth was nearly 50 ars away from independence.

wasn’t an easy start. When she was 16, her mother died and with her father working away in Scotland Isobel became a surrogate parent to her seven siblings. But after marrying Thomas Tresnan in 1921, a carpenter, she moved to the UK where she would eventually have seven children of her own.

Four generations of her family, from sons to great-great grandchildren gathered at The Oak on The Green in Bearsted for a special lunch to celebrate her birthday and the arrival of her fifth telegram from The Queen, which if Isobel has anything to do with it won’t be the last.

She said: “I don’t want to disappear off this earth for a very long time. I want to be here to look after my children and their children and make sure every one of them will never be in a police station or charged with any trouble.”