Edith Pratt had 106 reasons to celebrate. For the Calverley resident was enjoying the attention of notching up a fantastic 106th birthday.

Mrs Pratt, pictured, of St Luke's Nursing Home in Calverley, had family and friends around to commemorate the fact she is well into her third century.

She was born on September 6, 1896, and still enjoys a spot of baking.

But yesterday, she celebrated by reading another card from the Queen and a message from Andrew Smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, while taking in all the cards and gifts she received from family and friends.

Daughter Betty Walkden, 74, reminisced on how four generations of the family were born and bred in Calverley.

Speaking about her mother's past, she said: "Mum started working as a weaver when she was 14 and did the same job for 18 years.

"She was always in the thick of the community and joined the Women's Royal Voluntary Service during the war."

Almost 50 people joined in the celebrations, including Calverley's oldest man, 97-year-old Archie Thackray.

Senior care assistant at St Luke's, Anne Hirst, said: "Everyone loves her here and they all call her Gran.

"She joins in with a lot of the activities here. She loves baking, icing buns, and playing bingo!"

Much of her life was spent with her late husband Charles, her only child Betty and her three grandchildren.

At the age of 70, she revelled in the outdoor life and travelled with her family on camping trips around Europe.

She spent her 40th wedding anniversary in the romantic setting of Venice.

Her determination and love for life remained even after she broke both legs and suffered head injuries when she was knocked down by a car on the church corner in Calverley in 1981.

With much support and help from friends and family, she learnt how to walk again.

One of the youngest at the party, Jake Hall, Mrs Pratt's ten-year-old great-grandson exclaimed: "She's very old but it's good!"

And Mrs Pratt is not far behind the oldest woman in the UK, Jessie Nicholls, of Chichester, who was born in 1892.