FOUR generations from one family came together to celebrate a very special birthday for a great-grandmother who turned 100.

Ellen (Helen) Wright, from Weymouth, celebrated the milestone birthday by opening some royal mail and a birthday card from the Queen surrounded by family and friends.

Her son, Clive Davies, hosted a birthday party on a crisp winter's day at his home in Sutton Poyntz.

Mrs Wright said: "I would like to thank everyone for their beautiful cards and loving messages on my 100th birthday.

"I was very delighted and want to wish everyone a happy new year for 2017."

Mrs Wright's son, Mr Davies, said: "It was a very nice day and sunny and so we went out to the summer house and had some champagne and a toast and my mother opened a card from the Queen.

"We had dinner and there were seventeen of us, with the youngest being three and the oldest one hundred years old."

Mrs Wright was born in Brighton on December 30, 1916.

Mr Davies said: "She was born in the middle of the war. Her dad was a spring maker for the railway in Brighton before the family moved to Eastleigh and then she married my father, Jim Davies just after the Second World War."

Mrs Wright had two children, Clive and Michael, but was tragically widowed when her sons were just two and four-years-old in 1950.

Mr Davies said: "You didn't have help back then like you do now, she was on her own and so to have a career was hard."

Mrs Wright remarried, to Walter Wright, and moved to Weymouth, but was widowed again around 20 years ago. Despite living on her own, Mrs Wright continues to have quite the social life.

Mr Davies said: "She lives by herself and she gets out still quite a lot and goes to the Weymouth Bay Methodist Church every week and to the Acorns Day Centre. She's active but slow!"

Mrs Wright added: "I can't do that much walking now but I try to do the most I can when something comes up – I couldn't just sit at home.

"I've done lots of paintings and they are quite good if I do say so myself!

"I just try to keep going and I suppose for 100 I'm not doing too bad."

The family enjoyed an afternoon buffet dinner before cutting a cake.

Mr Davies said: "She had a lovely time. I think she was pleased to have got there to 100! She had a thoroughly nice day. It couldn't have been better and we had a nice cake cooked by Marks and Spencers.

"Life is frustrating when you get to 100 as everything becomes more difficult but she is determined to overcome the aches and pains and get out with assistance when she can."

CONTACT ME:

t: 01305 830987

e: jessica.rees

@dorsetecho.co.uk

twitter: @DorsetEchoJessR