SPRIGHTLY Porlock resident Sylvia Duck is maintaining a lifelong tradition - good health - while celebrating her 101st birthday this week.

Sylvia never had a day off through illness during her working life.

And good health followed her into retirement.

Sylvia was born in Malmsbury, Wiltshire, where her father was mayor of the town during her childhood.

But she moved to Porlock in 1983 to be nearer her sister Hilary Underhay, who is 95, and they now live just two doors away from each other in the village.

The sisters knew and loved West Somerset well - and the Porlock area in particular - as they holidayed there as children.

"They both have live-in carers now but they see each other two or three times a week," said Hilary's daughter and Sylvia's niece Carolyn Beach.

"In the summer they go out for tea together and they both have phenomenal energy."

Sylvia was a pupil at Bath High School from 1924 to 1930, being educated at home by a governess before then.

After leaving school she worked as a secretary for the town clerk's office at Bath's Guildhall, later becoming a medical secretary at the city's Royal United Hospital.

During World War Two she worked as a first aider with St John Ambulance.

Sylvia, like Hilary, has had a lifelong love of cats, having them as pets - mostly from rescue centres - from the age of four to 2009.

She was also a keen gardener and, although not as active as she once was, still retains a great interest in her garden.

Her other hobbies included horse riding and walking and she used to walk for miles over the moors, often stopping for lunch in country pubs.

Music was also a keen interest and, as a member of the Bath Gramophone Society, she gave many talks on the subject.

Although her musical tastes were varied, opera was her favourite and she still has a vast collections of LPs.

Although she never married or had children, Sylvia has Carolyn and another niece Rosemary Underhay, who lives in Peru, as well as a great nephew, Christopher Beach.

Her 101st birthday celebrations included a special tea with Hilary, Carolyn and her husband David and several of the sisters' carers.

"We had a special cake and champagne and just made it a real occasion," said Carolyn.

Photo: Steve Guscott