A VERY special family gathering was held at the Kildare Hotel in Minehead on Wednesday to celebrate great-grandmother Joan Smith's 100th birthday.

Joan, of Broadlands, Minehead, was born in the Crystal Palace area of London on June 26, 1912, and married Jack Smith at Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, in 1939.

They had one daughter, Wendy, now Langdon. Joan also has four grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren and she revealed that her longevity secret is having a sense of humour.

In her younger days, Joan was an au pair in South Africa, became a psychiatric nurse and, during the war, owned a café in Thorpe Bay, Essex.

Joan, who has lived in the West Country for over half a century, retired as a part-time cook for the fire service in Hadleigh, Essex - and her 100th birthday cake was decorated with a picture of her retirement party.

Her 100th birthday party was held on Saturday, slightly ahead of the big day, at the Kildare Hotel in Minehead.

Photo: Steve Guscott