Her 106th Birthday - Thanets Oldest Resident 31st December 1948 Thanets Oldest inhabitant, Mrs Jane CHAMPKIN, of Brenan House, Ramsgate celebrated her 106th Birthday on Christmas Eve. Among the first to congratulate her were three 'youngsters' who share the same bedroom and whose ages total 264 years. They were Mrs POINTER(89), Mrs AUSTIN (89)and Mrs GOODWIN (86). Although confined to her bed, Mrs CHAMPKIN still manages to read works by her favourite author Charles Dickens. One of her biggest birthday thrills was a letter from the Private Secretary to the Duchess of Kent, which recalled memories of a day last May when she was introduced to the Duchess at the foundation stone laying at Ramsgate General Hospital extensions. In his letter, the Private Secretary (Mr Philip HAY) wrote: "The Duchess of Kent was delighted to hear that you are to celebrate your 106th anniversary on the 24th December. Her Royal Highness well remembers meeting you when she visited Ramsgate on the 19th May and would now like to offer you her sincere congratulations on the occasion of your birthday. Her Royal Highness hopes you will spend a very happy day and has also asked me to send you her best wishes for Christmas and the New Year. Born in Bridlington Yorks in 1842, five years after Victoria came to the throne, Mrs CHAMPKIN came to Ramsgate with her late husband after the 1914-1918 war. Margate Local & Family History