Newbury woman who remembers town’s bombing by the Nazis celebrates her 100th birthday

A Newbury woman who remembers when the town was shelled by the Nazis has celebrated her 100th birthday.

Doris Evelyn May Dodd was born on April 28, 1925, to William Clifton and Eva Clifton.

Her father William served on the Western Front in the First World War, where his brother George was killed at The Battle of Loos in 1915 at just 20-years-old.

As time passed, her family moved from Cromwell Road to Monks Lane in Newbury.

During this period, the family had increased to include her brother Ron and Billy and later sister Pat.

Mrs Dodd left school at 14 to work at Swift Process Cleaners, later being offered a job to work in a china shop on the corner of West Street for 10 shillings.

This then led to an office job at Southern Electric, and finally to work as a shorthand typist.

One of her favourite pastimes was singing. Her manager asked if she would perform at this upcoming wedding anniversary, which she did on stage.

During the Second World War, Mrs Dodd witnessed the German attack on Newbury while riding her bike home from work when a lone enemy aircraft began machine gunning the rooftops.

She dropped her bike and ran into one of the Lower Raymonds Almshouses, close to the current Fair Close Centre, which was partly destroyed in the bombing.

She took refuge under the kitchen table until the attack ended.

She married her husband William, an RAF corporal, in 1946.

Their wedding ceremony was held at the temporary St John’s Church, since the original had been destroyed in the earlier bombing and would not be rebuilt until 1957.

The pair raised two sons, Paul and David, at their home in Monks Lane, before moving to Elizabeth Avenue and having a further daughter Ruth.

Once the children reached school leaving age, Mrs Dodd enrolled at Newbury College to brush up on her shorthand and typing, gaining a higher degree.

After retiring, Mrs Dodd continued to pursue her other interests including gardening and dancing.

She has since become a grandmother to Kevin and Leanne and a great-grandmother to Skye.

And when asked what she considers to be the secret to her longevity, Mrs Dodd replied: “Do the best you can to enjoy life and be happy.”