As life begins to roll on many people settle down and take their lives at a simple, easy pace.

But for a woman in Barford, who has just turned 100, age was never something which would get in the way.

Margaret Vale never took the traditional route through life and is proud to say 'I would not mind reliving it'.

Sitting in a comfy chair, covered in a blanket near the fire in her small cottage, it is difficult to see a woman who once travelled the world alone in her late 50s.

But as she talks it is clear Miss Vale still has a fight in her which will not be beaten by her old age.

She said: "The world is a very interesting place if you like to take time to take an interest in it."

Miss Vale grew up in Yardley and only moved to Warwick in 1955 and later to Barford in 1959 after having worked through the Second World War.

She never married and decided to live her life as an independent woman.

She said: "If I was rather attracted to someone they were married or just unsuitable.

Sometimes I think it would be nice to have someone to help out but on the whole I made a wise choice."

Miss Vale set her hand to most professions, including making cockpit covers and driving ambulances to help with the war effort and the growing need for people to become independent.

She became a driving instructor which she says was a very interesting career choice.

"Most of the people I was instructing were elderly men and the wives of men who had been called up. They were all older in years but they were very keen. They had to learn to drive. Some of them were hopeless."

Once the war was over she set to travelling the world alone, a lot of it by bus, and visited some places which even today are far from holiday spots.

"I loved going to see places when I was young. I was told that I always wanted to go to the edge of the hill or know what is around the corner and I did," Miss Vale said.

In her time she has visited Australia, most of Asia and South America with her favourite places including Baghdad, Afghanistan and Jerusalem.

"It was nice because I went to a lot of the places where you can't go now because it is too dangerous. I loved travelling. People were so helpful when they saw I was on my own and I made friends from all over the world. Not many people would have travelled alone then.

"Now I do not know how I had the nerve to do it. I went around somewhere not knowing where I was going to stay."

She now lives a quieter life in Barford but still likes to walk to the shop and has plenty of friends.

"I was all right up to about six months ago and then I became so tired and so cold. I was driving until I was 92. I'm hoping when the spring comes and I can go outside and do my garden I will feel better and back to myself."