supergran 100

Here's the birthday girl being helped by her eldest daughter into the room where the entire family were waiting in attempted silence to wish her a happy 100th Birthday with a surprise party of afternoon family fun. The photo aint that good from an artyfartyphotosnappin' point of view but it was the first one I took and, well, I couldn't give two hoots because to me it's a cracker as it's a snapshot of my Gran reaching her 100 milestone and she looks rather bluddy ace.

She's a lot thinner than she was a year ago but then she is a whole year older and she has just shaken off that terrible sickness bug thing. She marked her special day with the biggest grin and the teariest eyes, totally overcome with emotions thanks mainly to us all just being there but also in part to a visit from the Town Mayor and a somewhat special birthday card and message arriving from the Queen. And no doubt the fact that my late grandad wasn't sitting by her side for yet another birthday hit her hard too.

She's seen the introduction of things such as the television, the age of the modern motor car, air travel, vinyl music, the popular music explosion, iPods and the Internet. She's lived through two world wars, outlived one of her own children and said fond farewells to many a dear loved one and friend. She's got through her life with the grittiest of teeth, the firmest of hands and the kindest of hearts. She's partied in the streets amongst the bunting and danced away the foxtrot till the early hours. She's written more christmas and birthday cards than soft mick and she's probably opened even more of her own. She's a dab hand at keeping a family fed through proper hard times, and she throws a mean bowling strike on Wii sports too. But best of all, and boy do I say my thanks for it, she can remember the name of every single one of us, 4 great-great-grandchildren and all.

GO GRAN.

(I think she's staring at balloons.)