And the news that thousands of Land Girls and Lumberjills had received medals for their voluntary work during the Second World War has led Julia to reflect on her own wartime experiences.

An air raid precautions officer volunteer in 1941, Julia found that her job nearly led to her own demise.

Birmingham was subject to sustained bombing during the war and it was Julia's job to man the phones and alert the emergency services when a building had been hit.

On one occasion the post from which Julia was working received a direct hit from German bombers.

She witnessed firefighters battling the blaze on the roof of the swimming baths where she was based and recalls running to the next post to report the incident.

When she returned to the stricken building the next day she heard it said that the Kent Street lady warden was missing.

Julia corrected their mistake and announced: "I am the lady warden, and as you can see I am not missing - please tell my mother that I am OK." Julia moved to Glasgow in 1942 after marrying Frank Slater (Slotopolsky).

Her family home in Birmingham was blitzed during the war. Julia reveals that if the bombers had continued any longer with their raids there would not have been sufficient water in Birmingham to fight the blazes.

Two years ago East Renfrewshire MP Jim Murphy presented Julia with a trophy honouring her work in the war. She received an MBE for her services to the Castlemilk area of Glasgow 14 years ago.

Julia's other claim to fame is being one of the first women in the country to have a batmitzvah.

In 1929 Rev Dr Abraham Cohen of Singers Hill Birmingham Hebrew Congregation set an exam for 14-year-old girls in conjunction with the then Chief Rabbi Dr J Hertz.

Julia, 92, said: "To this day that certificate is one of my proudest possessions."

Her son Bryan, a solicitor, daughter-in-law Glenda and their four children Jordan, Camilla, Sapphira and James live in Whitefield, Manchester.

Her other son, Marvyn, a retired ophthalmic optician, lives in London with his wife Sonia and son Alexis.