CENTENARIAN Betty Harper was the centre of attention at a birthday party held at Parsonage Court in Highworth last week.

Friends and family gathered at the celebration where she was presented with a bouquet by Highworth mayor Maureen Penny.

Betty, who has lived in Highworth for 70 years, is a popular figure in the village. She was an active member of the community, a member of the Mother’s Union and a regular at St Michael’s Church.

And she is still a regular at Parsonage Court’s coffee mornings, giving her a chance to catch up with old friends who also gathered to see her telegram from the Queen and a letter from David Cameron.

Sue Hall, the manager at Parsonage Court, a sheltered housing unit, said Betty was the first person to reach 100 since she took over the sheltered housing unit three years ago.

“She’s still active,” she said. “I went round one night and she was cooking beef stew and dumplings.”

Born in Kent, Betty was married in 1938 to her husband Wilf Harper. They moved to Gloucestershire in the war where Wilf worked for Short Aircraft and Betty worked on the telephone exchange.

They came to Highworth in 1924 with their two children and Betty soon found a job as a doctor’s receptionist. Although Wilf died in 1952, she had plenty of company, enjoying spending time with her five grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Daughter-in-law Judith Harper is married to Betty’s son John and travelled down from Gloucester with him to see Betty. She said Betty was an intelligent and strong-minded woman.

She said: “She’s a very with it person, she knows what’s going on in the world, she still enjoys listening to her talking books.

“She’s very determined, I think that’s why she’s lived to 100.”