A SPECIAL birthday party with family and friends was the perfect way for Elizabeth Bustin to celebrate her 100th birthday.

The celebrations took place at her home in Greenhill Residential in Crickhowell where she received a cake, a telegram from the queen and an apostolic blessing from the pope.

The great-grandmother was born in Sheeky Creewood, County Neath Ireland on January 8 1908, and moved to Crickhowell wen she was 17 with a family whose children she was caring for. Mrs Bustin started her nursing training in London where she became a midwife. She was a midwife in Crickhowell for many years until her retirement in 1974. She married Edward in 1946 and they lived in Ffynnonau, Crickhowell. Edwards sadly passed away in 1984 aged 83.

Mrs Bustin has three daughters Patricia Jenkins, Maria Murphy and Shirley Parry and two grandsons.

Mrs Jenkins said, "It was a smashing day, I don't know how she stayed awake! So many people came to celebrate, it was really lovely. She had a presentation from the Irish Government and the Queen and pope. There was family from Ireland here to celebrate with us and cousins from London - even the doctors who she worked with when she was nursing. We watched the programme she appeared in A Welsh Way of Life with Dr Humphries. I would like to thank friends and family and everyone at the home who did the spread and cake and made it a wonderful day."