Mary hits her century

A GREAT-grandmother who lived most of her life in the Thornbury area has celebrated her 100th birthday with a party and singsong.

Mary Anstey's big day at Manor Cottage residential home in Frenchay on January 10 included a visit from local singer Frankie Johns.

Born in Ham, near Berkeley, Mary had four sisters, Patricia, Peggy, Marjorie and Eva,and went to school in Berkeley.

She went into service with the Berkeley family shortly before her 14th birthday, and one of her earliest memories is being picked up in the family's car and being very sick in it as she was not used to car travel.

During the Second World War Mary worked at engineering firm Listers, which made engines, shell cases and other products for the war effort, in Dursley.

While there she met and shook hands with Queen Mary, the mother of King George VI, who visited the factory in 1940 .

In 1949 Mary married Oswald, an aero engineer at BAC in Filton, who later left to work on motorbikes at Falfield garage.

She says she can still remember her blue wedding dress and hat, which she didn’t really like but did not complain about, so as not to hurt the feelings of the woman who made it.

The couple moved to Falfield and had three children, Derek, Colin and Joanne, and Mary says they are the "apple of her eye".

She has five grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren.

After her children grew up, Mary worked at Michaelwood services on the M5.

Mary has also lived in Stone and latterly