THERE were balloons, cake and a card from Her Majesty the Queen when Dorothy Knight celebrated her 100th birthday with a garden party at Brockhampton Court Nursing Home, surrounded by her family and friends.

Dorothy grew up in the Forest of Dean and moved to Hereford to work at the munitions factory in Rotherwas during World War II.

As Dorothy Sparrow, she was born in Wigpool near Mitcheldean and went to Lea School. After leaving school aged just 14, she went into domestic service at a house in Bushey, near Watford, Hertfordshire. Soon after the outbreak of war in 1939, she took a job at the munitions factory at Rotherwas, where her nickname was Goldie because of her golden, curly hair.

After the war, she married Doug Knight who served in north Africa and became a GPO telephone engineer. The couple lived in rented rooms at Whitecross, where their first child, Dennis was born. They then became one of the first families to move into the newly-built Haylease Crescent in Hunderton, which virtually stood alone, surrounded by green fields as work on the Newton Farm and Redhill estates began.

The rent on their new council house was 11 shillings a week (about 55p in today’s money) while the rates (Council Tax) were 10 shillings (50p) a week.

Three of her children, Judith, Tom and Robert were with her for her special birthday party and while Dennis was unable to travel from his home in Vancouver, Dorothy was able to speak to him on her big day via the internet.

"I’ve been very blessed with good health and I’ve had lovely people around me all my life," said Dorothy, who moved into Brockhampton Court two years ago.

And she added with a chuckle: ‘I’ve been able to get around and my mind is still working reasonably well.’

Her son, Tom described his mum as ‘amazing’ and added: "She grew up as one of five children in a tiny cottage in the Forest of Dean, where she walked several miles every week just going to and from school.

"Her stamina, fortitude, strong faith and loving family have seen her through and she has been gifted with a remarkable constitution. She has thrived since moving into Brockhampton, where the staff have been brilliant," said Tom.