FORMER headteacher Irene ‘Rene’ Poynter celebrated her 100th birthday on Friday, June 1, with friends and family.

A tea party was held at Hill Brow residential home in Beacon Hill Road for Rene, who commemorated her milestone with tea, cake and Prosecco.

More celebrations also took place at the home on June 3, with 10 of Rene’s family members joining the party - including one of her two daughters, Barbara Ernster, and three out of four grandchildren.

Rene spent the majority of her life in south west London where she was born in 1918. She trained at Whitelands Teacher Training College and from here went on to become an infant school teacher, rising to the role of headmistress before retiring in 1973.

Besides teaching, daughter Barbara recalls how her mother was a “proficient piano player, performing regularly at her school assemblies”. As an avid tennis player, she also won many tournaments at her local club. Here, Rene met late husband Fred.

They tied the knot in 1940 and, with this being a time when married women were not allowed to teach, Rene returned to work wearing her wedding ring hidden from plain sight on a chain around her neck.

The couple went on to have two daughters, Barbara and Rosemary. Rosemary, now living in Canada, was unable to attend the celebrations.

Barbara, however, lives in Church Crookham with Rene’s three other grandchildren, prompting her move to the village in 2002.

During the Second World War, Rene lived with her only sibling Kath, due to the fact both their husbands were away in the Army and RAF. Kath eventually moved to Suffolk with her children. One of which, niece Liz, attended Sunday’s celebrations.

Husband Fred passed away in 1976, and Rene lived independently in her Church Crookham bungalow until two years ago when she moved into Hill Brow Residential Home.