A remarkable Pembrokeshire woman who was born the same year that World War One started celebrated her 109th birthday this week.

Ivy Skeate was born in 1914, the same year that Great Britain declared war on Germany and just two years after the Titanic went down.

Ivy was born in Southwark, south London, and as an infant her policeman grandfather patrolled the streets of south London giving residents the all-clear following zeppelin raids with shrill blasts of his whistle.

At the age of 11 Ivy won a scholarship to Grey Coat Grammar School, which she attended until the age of 16.

On leaving school she worked as a receptionist for Universal Studios, meeting the well-known film stars of the day.

In her teens she met James Arthur Skeate who attended the neighbouring boy's school. The pair also taught at Sunday School together. They were engaged when they were both 21 and married at 23. They had two daughters Margaret and Irene.

The family moved to Carmarthenshire after Mr Skeate, an Oxyacetylene engineer, was offered a job there. The family decided they wanted to stay in west Wales and moved to Newport in 1966 where they ran a small grocery shop, West End Stores, for many years. Ivy was widowed in 1988.

She has lived at Hillside Care Home in Goodwick since 2013 where she still enjoys a game of bingo after lunch on a Wednesday and Sunday.

She celebrated her birthday with tea and cake and visits from family and her second card from His Majesty The King.

Her daughter Irene said on a previous birthday: "I heard her say when she was in her 80s that she would not give in to old age,” She is a very determined person, and she still enjoys life."

Pembrokeshire County Council Chairman Cllr Tom Tudor also visited Ivy to wish her a happy birthday and brought her flowers.

“It was lovely to visit Mrs Ivy Skeate to wish her happy birthday on her 109th birthday celebrations,” said Cllr Tudor.

“What a lovely, kind and caring person she is, and what a special day full of sweet and happy moments.”

Annette Narbett, registered home manager at the Pembrokeshire County Council-run Hillside, added that all the staff are very fond of Ivy.