Surrounded by family and friends, Ivy Matthews celebrated her 100th birthday in style with a surprise party.

Ivy was shocked when she arrived at the Age UK group she attends at the United Reform Church, Blacon.

Daughter Yvonne Rimington and granddaughter Clare Rimington secretly arranged the event despite Ivy telling them she did not want a big celebration.

Ivy of Blacon said: “Oh my goodness – I was so surprised and overwhelmed.

“I had no idea what they were up to.

“It was a lovely surprise.”

Yvonne, a retired teacher, and Clare, both of Blacon, planned the party with staff at the centre.

Yvonne said: “I’m glad we didn’t take any notice when mum said she didn’t want any fuss. She really enjoyed the party.”

Becoming a member of the exclusive centenarian club runs in the family.

Her late sister Flo Troubridge, of Bromley, lived until she was 102.

Ivy’s life began on the Old Kent Road, east London, and she was one of three daughters.

Two of her cousins – both girls – came to live with the family when their mother died.

At 14 Ivy left school and trained for six years to become a seamstress before she was taken on by a west end shop.

By 1938 she had met future husband John, known as Jack, a butcher.

Ivy used her sewing skills to create her wedding dress and dresses for her bridesmaids.

On the big day 23-year-old Ivy and 26-year-old Jack began what turned out to be almost 60 years of married life.

A month after Yvonne was born the Second World War erupted with Jack working in bomb factory and joining the Home Guard.

In 1942 he volunteered for the RAF and before long was employed at the highly secretive Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, as Morse code operator.

During the war Bletchley was Britain’s best kept secret with staff intercepting and cracking German, Japanese and other Axis nations’ clandestine communications.

Intelligence gathered at Bletchley warned military chiefs in advance of enemy missions thereby shortening the war and saving countless lives.

Yvonne said: “Like everyone at Bletchley, dad didn’t really talk about it.

“However, he did tell me he dealt with resistance fighters – mainly in France.

“He would be taking a message and suddenly it would stop.

“That either meant the Germans had caught the operators or they had had to run away to avoid capture. That must have been difficult for him.”

By now Jack had moved his family out of London to avoid the Blitz into a small, one-bedroomed flat with a box room in Hereford.

Ivy’s sister and three children joined them.

Yvonne said: “With two adults and four children we were pretty cramped.

“But my dad was very resourceful and he built a fold-down table and attached it to the wall over the bath.

“When pulled down the table covered the bath and we ate our meals around it.”

After the war Jack got a job at Capenhurst, the atomic energy plant, bringing the family with him.

Jack worked at the plant until he retired and he died in 1997, aged 82.

Yvonne said: “While I was growing up mum looked after us and went back to work sewing.

“She was a wonderful wife and is a wonderful mother and grandmother. Mum deserved a fuss on her 100th birthday.”