A GREAT-GRANDMOTHER who knocked over a Nazi and shook hands with the Pope has celebrated her hundredth birthday.

Helen Ouin, of Ashcombe Court, Ilminster, reached the milestone earlier this month and celebrated with her 23 great grandchildren.

She told the News: "One just lives life as it comes. I have just been lucky to have a lot of things happen.

"I was able to go abroad a lot during the war, spending some time in France and Italy. I worked for intelligence."

It was during this time that Helen got to meet the pope in the Vatican.

"We happened to be in the Vatican and he was having an audience and a guard told us to go along and we we given front row seats," she said.

"The Pope at the time was pro-Axis so he was asking where my brother was stationed."

However, that is far from Helen's most interesting story.

"I was in Vienna when Hitler came into Austria. I went over there with a student club and then he arrived. Most British people left then but just a couple of us stayed on.

"The result was I was going to the university one day and I was late so I was running, and I went round a corner and knocked down a little man, and it was Joseph Goebbles.

"He wasn't very happy about it and he had his henchmen with him."

Helen has quite a large extended family, including 23 great grandchildren and her daughter-in-law Maggi, who contacted the paper about Helen's milestone birthday.

"I have a lovely family and we all see each a lot of each other," Helen added.

"We have a farmhouse in Anglesey so we all go out there and meet up."

Maggi said: "When she attended the christening of one of her great grandchildren at Wambrook Church, she received applause from the congregation. So in other words she is greatly enjoying reaching this magnificent age.

"She greatly enjoyed receiving more than 100 cards – including the Queen’s – and blowing out candles with her 23 great grandchildren."

Helen has lived at Ashcombe Court since October 2006, and is currently looked after by her carer, Janita Patterson.

Janita said of Helen's hundredth birthday, which was celebrated on January 8: "I think it is absolutely fantastic. She is the oldest 21 year-old I know. She is fantastically confident and very interesting."