A HOME full of flowers and plants is the key to a long and happy life, according to one woman who has lived through two world wars.

Royal Wootton Bassett resident Gertrude Tippetts celebrated her 101st birthday last week, with a celebration lunch with her fellow residents at GreenSquare’s Springfield House.

Gertrude, known as Gertie, reached 101 on Wednesday, January 18, and has lived at Springfield House for 19 years. Many of her immediate family live nearby and she has five children, 15 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and was delighted to welcome a great-great-grandchild before Christmas.

Four of Gertie’s children took her for lunch at The Marriott in Swindon’s Old Town last weekend.

On her birthday on Wednesday, residents from Springfield House gathered in the communal lounge for lunch, which included Gertie’s favourites, cheese and pineapple sticks, tea and birthday cake.

A very sociable lady, Gertie is the former chairman of the residents’ committee and used to organise events and sales for residents at Springfield House. She still always gets involved with activities going on and particularly enjoys the games of kurling the residents play in the communal lounge.

Gertie’s daughter Janet reckons the secret to her mother’s long life is a busy calendar.

She said: “Mum goes to all her great-grandchildren’s birthday parties. And with 23 of them, that’s a lot of parties!”

Last year, for Gertie’s 100th birthday, she was surprised with a party at the Lorna Doon Day Centre where family and friends greeted her as well as the Mayor of Royal Wootton Bassett, Ian Ferries, and the town crier, Owen Collier.

Gertie said the secret of a long life is a home full of flowers. Her flat at Springfield House is currently full of orchids, plants and birthday flowers.

She also spoke of some of the changes she has seen during her lifetime, including electric lights and electricity - when Gertie was first married, she had an Aladdin lamp as a wedding present; which was an upgrade on oil-lamps.

Laundry and ironing equipment has also come a long way. She now uses her old flat iron as a door stop. She remembers when she got her first television when her son was doing National Service in late the ‘50s and she first got central heating about 40 years ago.

She also remembers the rationing and shortages of the Second World War.