Britain's oldest woman turns 113; want new teeth as birthday present

Son Derek says he is 'very proud' of his mother

The former pianist, who was a teenager during the First World War and witnessed the first shooting down of a Zeppelin, turns 113.

Britain's oldest person - born when the Wright Brothers invented the first successful aeroplane - says she plans to celebrate with a slice of cake and a cup of tea.

Gladys Hooper will be joined by family and friends from across the country at her nursing home in Ryde on the Isle of Wight for 113th birthday.

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"I don't feel very different to when I was 75," said the former concert pianist.

Asked if there was anything special she would like for her birthday, her son said she had confided: "I wouldn't mind a nice new set of teeth".

Gladys aged two-and-a-half with her father

Gladys dressed as Little Red Riding Hood, aged four

Mrs Hooper only moved into the nursing home in October on doctors' orders after she became the oldest person to have a hip replacement.

Before that, she had lived in a flat connected to the home of her 85-year-old son, Derek Hermiston.

Mrs Hooper was brought up in Rottingdean, near Brighton - she was a teenager during the First World War, and 36 when the Nazis invaded Poland and started World War II.

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Mr Hermiston said his mother had witnessed the first shooting down of a German airship - downed during a bombing raid over London in 1916 by hero pilot Lieutenant William Leefe Robinson, who was awarded the Victoria Cross.

Gladys aged 16

Her wedding day on 2 September 1922

She was also good friends at college with Amy Johnson - the first female pilot to fly solo from Britain to Australia.

Mrs Hooper went on to be a concert pianist in London and played with famous band leaders of the time.

She married in 1922 and her husband, Leslie, died in 1988.

Mrs Hooper is also thought to have started London's first car hire company and later ran Kingscliff House School, now Brighton College.

Her son Derek, a retired pilot, said: "I am very proud of her, I have known her for quite a long time and I have seen her life when she was young, when she was a very agile person and always the centre of parties.

Gladys (third right) with husband Leslie (second right)

"She was a great pianist, I remember going to the Dorchester Hotel in London a few times where she was playing.

"Now we see her hands moving up and down and I think she dreams quite a lot of her piano days.

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"I think she has melodies going through her head which is rather nice for her and those melodies bring back very happy memories.

"Music gave her a very happy life, she met a lot of people through music and I think it sustains her now in these later years."

Credit: Sky News