A SPRIGHTLY Redditch resident will celebrate her 100th birthday today at Terryspring Court.
Centenarian Mary Grace Tattum, who is known as ‘May’, is originally from South Wales and spent most of her life in Llanrwst.
During the war she worked at Dolgarrog, making aluminium parts for aircraft.
She married her husband Joe in Trefriw in 1943 and for their honeymoon, the pair cycled on a tandem to Rhyl.
After the war May worked in factories and was a works convener in Halesowen, sitting on the same committee as Derek Robinson, aka ‘Red Robbo’.
The pair loved to holiday and in 1966 went all the way from West Heath, where they lived at the time, to Spain in an Austin A40.
May’s son Tony, who was born in 1946, said: “Not a lot of people went to Spain back then, let alone in an Austin 40.
“They were told off by the police when they tried to sleep overnight in the car as it was illegal over there.
“My parents were always adventurous when it came to travelling.”
As well as son Tony and daughter-in-law Ann, May has three grandchildren, five great grandchildren and one great great grandchild.
Sadly her husband Joe died in 1993.
Tony said: “She has always been a character and would put her long life down to her wicked sense of humour.
“She was a keen cyclist and takes part in all the activities at Terryspring Court, including nine-pin bowling.”
On Monday May will be celebrating her century with afternoon tea.
