A BROADWAY woman last week celebrated her 100th birthday with family, friends, and a card from the Queen.

Norah Pethick celebrated the milestone date on Wednesday, March 23 with some of her extended family, which features four children, 10 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, and two great great grandchildren.

Of the special occasion, Norah said: "It went well. I had people in and out all day for several days, and we planted some rose bushes."

Her youngest daughter, Sue Parsons, 69, said: "We had a really good day. We cut the cake and then we had Sarah Pudduck singing half a dozen songs and she got her card from the Queen and the Secretary of State and from the Department of Work and Pensions.

"She was very joyous. I think she had been looking forward to this for a long time and she has sustained her energies.

"She is so grateful for all the greetings and there are so many cards and flowers and small gifts."

Norah was born in the family bakery in 1916, where she then grew up. In 1941 she married Richard Hope Pethick and they had four children together.

"It was a very active family," Sue added.

"She went through the war times hiding children in a drawer under the table where they lived in Crawley. There was quite a lot going on at that time.

"Then, as the new town of Crawley grew up, mum was able to run a guest house. As well as four children there were also eight other people people in the house."

Later on, Norah started to set up bedsitters and she enjoyed travelling, including with one of her sons Chris, who has lived in both America and Denmark.

She has a passion for local church and, Sue said, is always outward looking.

After moving to Horton and Broadway, Norah set up a chatterbox group which helped her to amke and maintain significant freindships.

"It is a really important part of Horton and Broadway life," Sue said.

"She now lives with me and it has become a focus for other family visiting and because other family live in Devon it has made that much easier."