CELEBRATIONS were in full swing as Kath Healey celebrated her 100th birthday.

Mrs Healey, originally from Tettenhall in Wolverhampton, is now living Windmill House residential home in Old Down.

A former hairdresser, Mrs Healey had been showered with flowers and gifts to celebrate her birthday which was on Thursday, September 11.

She was born just over a month after the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914 and has now seen the introduction of the television and man landing on the moon.

Family members and friends had helped her celebrate the birthday with a special get together.

Mrs Healey, a big fan of motor racing, was one of three sisters who grew up in the West Midlands village.

She became a hairdresser with her friend following a brief period working at Sainsbury’s. Shortly afterwards she married her late husband Bill.

Tennis was a popular past-time for the centenarian and said that she used to play the piano.

Born in 1914, Mrs Healey is regularly visited by her son Dave and daughter-in-law Sue who live nearby.

She moved down to the area in February 2013 to be closer to her family.

She said: “Family means such a lot. I have a son and daughter-in-law who live close and they visit me a lot.

“I’ve been sent a lot of special birthday cards and I got a big bunch of flowers and a lot of presents.

Mrs Healey has now been at the Old Down residential home for a few years and is a popular character.

The residential home then hosted a special tea party for her on Tuesday, September 16.