Abersychan woman celebrating her 100th birthday today

Nancy McComb, from Abersychan, is marking the impressive milestone today - Wednesday, August 16.

Now a resident of the Arthur Jenkins Care Home in Blaenavon, Mrs McComb was born in 1923 as Annie May Dodds, one of six children.

At Pontypool Grammar School, she excelled in numerous areas, including hockey, tennis and maths. Former President of the European Commission, Roy Jenkins MP was a classmate, and someone “she beat in every maths test”, according to granddaughter Joanna Lewis. 

This isn’t Mrs McComb’s only claim to fame, as she is also the second cousin, through her grandfather, of the man credited with spearheading the creation of the National Health Service, Aneurin Bevan.

Mrs McComb with her birthday cake (Image: Hafod)

At Pontypool Grammar School, she excelled in numerous areas, including hockey, tennis and maths. Former President of the European Commission, Roy Jenkins MP was a classmate, and someone “she beat in every maths test”, according to granddaughter Joanna Lewis. 

After finishing school, she originally intended to go to Oxford University, but with the Second World War raging, she went to work in the munitions factory in Glascoed, managing their accounts.

In 1943, she married James McComb, who she had met while he was on leave in Swansea from the Merchant Navy Atlantic Convoys.

Although they originally settled in Ireland, she eventually returned to her hometown of Abersychan with her husband, affectionately known as Jim.

Mr McComb died in 2000.

Nancy with her beloved husband Jim (Image: Joanna Lewis)

Keen to put her accounting skills back to the test, Mrs McComb returned to work in Pontypool, dealing with the accounts for the Fowlers Travel Agents, now a mother of two daughters.

A devoted member of the Noddfa Baptist Church, she is a key part of the congregation that has seen the church rise to its current prominent position as a pillar of support to the local community.

Mrs McComb has also kept up her great love for tennis, with granddaughter Joanna admitting she is a particularly big fan of Roger Federer. The two played her last tennis match together, with Mrs McComb proving she still had it on the court at 88, forcing Joanna to concede that it was a “tough match”.

She moved into the Arthur Jenkins Care Home in 2018 having lived fully independently until then, with the home celebrating her birthday today. 

Mrs McComb with her birthday flowers from Blaenavon Town Council (Image: Hafod)

Joanna has said of her beloved grandmother on the special occasion of her 100th birthday: “She is such a wonderful and much-loved grandmother, hugely generous, determined, a fabulous pastry maker and crossword solver, always happy to have a cup of tea.”

Mrs McComb said: "Everything has been so wonderful and I'm delighted to have got a card from the King."

Congratulations on your 100th birthday, Nancy.