When Winnie was born, Queen Victoria was still on the throne, the Boer War was raging and Norwich City FC was still two years from being founded.

But as the tortoise plods towards her one-and-a-quarter century, her owners think they have discovered the secret of her long life... a fondness for jam sandwiches.

The 123-year-old, who has grown to the size of a rugby ball, has been handed down through a succession of owners as a much-loved family pet.

The tortoise is now owned by Wendy Smith and her daughter Tilly, 9, from Brooke - who has found a firm friend in Winnie despite the age difference.

Norwich Evening News: 'Give me a jam sandwich and make it snappy' - Winnie is a fan of a sweet treat.'Give me a jam sandwich and make it snappy' - Winnie is a fan of a sweet treat. (Image: Denise Bradley)

She said: "Winnie loves eating jam sandwiches, bananas, lettuce, strawberry and dandelions. 

"Apparently when mum was little Winnie loved tasting her toenails - she loves freshly painted ones too."

Wendy Smith, 47, was given the tortoise as a 5-year-old girl by an elderly couple who lived nearby.

The couple had looked after Winnie - then known as 'Winston' after they mistook her for a male - for 40 years. 

Mrs Smith said: "We used to live in a house at the end of a long drive and one day a tortoise appeared after escaping from an elderly couple who lived up the road. 

"The tortoise was becoming a trouble as it kept disappearing, and they said they'd like a child to have it."

Over the years, Winnie has escaped more than 20 times, and the family has found that she can be 'surprisingly fast'.

Norwich Evening News: Tillie Smith, 9, holding much-loved pet Winnie the 123-year-old tortoise.Tillie Smith, 9, holding much-loved pet Winnie the 123-year-old tortoise. (Image: Denise Bradley)

Ms Smith said: "You’d think tortoises are slow, but over the years I reckon we’ve lost her about 20 times.

“One winter we thought we’d lost her for good over the hibernation period, but come spring she appeared in the next-door neighbour’s compost heap. We’ve even found her out roaming on the main road.”

Norwich Evening News: Winnie pictured with jam on her nose after tucking into one of her favourites meals.Winnie pictured with jam on her nose after tucking into one of her favourites meals. (Image: Denise Bradley)

The average age for domesticated tortoises is around 50 years.

 

WHAT HAPPENED IN 1900, THE YEAR WINNIE WAS BORN?

  • The Labour Party was officially established, at a meeting in London, with Ramsay MacDonald appointed as its first secretary.
  • The Second Boer War continued, with the Siege of Ladysmith and the Battle of Spion Kop, which gave its name to large football terraces, such as at Liverpool's Anfield stadium.
  • The second Olympic Games were held in Paris, with women taking part for the first time. Live pigeons were used as targets in shooting events.
  • Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon - later the Queen Mother - was born. The location of her birth remains uncertain. One theory is that she was delivered in a horse-drawn ambulance on the way to hospital.
  • The first Michelin Guide is published, in France. It was created as a guide book by the Michelin tire company to promote the demand for cars - and tires.