A SPRIGHTLY old lady of 102 has celebrated her birthday surrounded by friends and family.

Ivy Wade, who lives at Norton Hall Nursing Home, in Norton, celebrated the magnificent milestone at the home yesterday.

She is an embroidery enthusiast, and regularly dons her thimble and takes up the needle to create her weavings, which are still being framed and mounted.

For her 100th birthday, she put on an exhibition of her embroidery work for other residents at the home.

"Some of her embroideries which she designs herself are beautiful.

She is still very with it, except that she's very deaf unfortunately," said her niece, Sylvia Tidberough, of Sapphire Close, St John's.

Miss Wade was one of six children, and she spent her early life looking after the family because her mother was blind.

During the First World War, her family moved to Weston-Super-Mare from London. She has lived in Norton, near Worcester, for 10 years

"Many of her memories are family-orientated, and about her time in Weston," explained Mrs Tidberough, aged 70.

"She never went out to work, but instead looked after the family," she added.

Miss Wade never married, but has a large extended family. She has two nieces and four great-great-grand nieces and nephews.

What else happened in 1903?

The Wright brothers' Flyer was the first aeroplane to take off and land safely after a short flight at Kittyhawk, North Carolina.

Polish-born Marie Curie shared the Nobel Prize for physics for her work investigating radiation and the chemical element Radium.

The first edition of the Tour de France was organised by newspaper owner Henri Desgrange. Maurice Garin was the first winner.