EVERYONE wants to be surrounded by their family and friends on their birthday.

And if the number of cards was anything to go by Ivy Hunt certainly wasn't short of well-wishers as she reached her century.

Ivy, who is lives at the Moormead Nursing Home in Wroughton, celebrated the milestone yesterday and two children, four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren were there to see her blow out the candles on her cake.

Daughter Doreen Davies, of Wootton Bassett, said she thought her mother was enjoying the day.

"I think she has had a nice day," she said.

"She cries a lot, but I think that is because of happiness rather than because she is sad.

"But it has been lovely for everyone to get together and be here for the party."

Granddaughter Maria Schnetzer travelled all the way to Wroughton from her home in Austria to be with her Gran on the big day.

Ivy started her working life in service and used to work in large houses.

"She was just one of those people who could sew and knit naturally," said Doreen.

"She was a real home person and always made everything herself.

"I had never eaten chips or pork pies until after I got married, because she never made them."

Before moving to Swindon Ivy used to play the church organ at the church in Oare, a village near Pewsey.

"She probably played it for years," said Doreen.

"You just remember hearing stories about it."

She even took up a job working in insurance and used to cycle from Swindon to Cirencester.

"She was amazing, she even used to walk me in my pram to Cricklade," said Doreen.

Ivy, who can no longer speak after suffering two strokes, has been at the nursing home since April 2000.

She received the traditional telegram from the Queen and also another telegram from John Hutton, the secretary of state for work and pensions.

"She was holding the telegram from the Queen and was waving it around," said Doreen.

"But I have never heard of anyone getting a telegram from the department of work and pensions before, it's unusual."

No birthday party would be complete without a cake, and Ivy was not disappointed with hers, which was in the shape of the number 100.

Ivy's year

THERE were a number of memorable events 100 years ago, when Ivy was born.

One of those was when Rudyard Kipling was given the Nobel Prize for literature.

He was awarded for his ability to observe, the originality of his imagination, for the virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration.

On May 22 the actor and director Sir Laurence Olivier, was born.

The star who appeared in a number of Holywood films including Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca in 1940 died in 1989.

On June 1 Kent county cricket player Colin Blythe took 17 wickets for 48 runs against Northamptonshire at Northampton in one day.

It is the best analysis ever recorded for a county cricket match (or for a single day's bowling), and was not bettered in first-class cricket until 1956.

In August the first ever scout group was created on Brownsea Island and also that year James Murray Spangler invented the first vacuum cleaner.