96-year-old twins: We've always been together

Identical twins Joan and Jessie Baker went to the same schools, had the same jobs and have lived together in the Black Country for nearly all of their lives.

The 96-year-olds were born in Wolverhampton Road, Pelsall, in 1918 a few months before the end of the First World War, with Joan 20 minutes older than her sister.

They have spent many of the years since then living and working together and although they now live apart - all be it round the corner from each other - they still meet up each day to enjoy dinner together.

The sisters, who attended Pelsall Infants School and School Lane secondary school in the village, say they have fond memories of growing up.

"Whatever I did, she did and whatever she did, I did," Jessie said.

"We have always been together. We just grew part of one another.

"We used to sit together at school and we were in the same lessons.

"We had marvellous parents and grandparents growing up.

"We were always a family together, we used to go to the seaside in Wales. Mum was a children's nurse and dad was a miner."

They lived in Wolverhampton Road, Pelsall until they were 21, before moving to another home on the same street with their parents. After their mother Alice died in 1970, following the death of their father Joseph, they both moved into a flat in Charles Crescent, Pelsall.

It was six years ago when they made the move to become neighbours rather than house mates after moving to separate flats on the same street in Rushall before Jessie moved to another home around the corner two years ago.

The pair, who were both bridesmaids at the wedding of their uncle George and his wife Kitty at the age of about five, first worked together at a leather factory in Frederick Street, Walsall, making purses, cases and belts.

They then left to work at a munitions factory in Darlaston were they were involved in finishing and polishing shells during the Second World War.

Joan said: "We both worked at Darlaston Naval Shells. Jess used to have the shells and put a screw in the top. I used to grease the bottom and put a cap on."

Although they spent short periods apart while Joan became a shop worker and Jessie took up and office role, the sisters worked together again as shop assistants at Hetherington Chemists, in High Street, Pelsall.

Joan spent 25 years of her life there, while Jessie worked there for 15 years.

Away from the world of work the twins, who have never married or had children, are both keen knitters and have even won prizes together for their gardening abilities.

They helped to create a communal garden outside their home four years ago which won them first prize in a competition.

They were nominated for a Walsall Housing Group Community Spirit award by a neighbour who felt they deserved recognition for their dedication to helping to create the green space.

Judges agreed and awarded the sisters first place in the Community Garden Champion category of the Community Spirit awards.

Jessie and Joan spent hours planning how they would like the garden to look and co-ordinating work.

When the sisters moved into their flats the communal garden was overgrown.

They set about planting flowers, bulbs and shrubs to brighten it up and bought benches and garden ornaments to improve it.

Neighbours said they had transformed the garden into a haven of colour and wildlife.

Despite living apart these days the pair have revealed that they still have the same supermarket shopping lists, each getting the same as the other even if they don't necessarily like what one has got.

Jessie said: "We live like that. It's part of our life.

"We see each other every day and phone each other."