A WOMAN who lives for her family has celebrated her 100th birthday, with her daughter and grandson by her side for the first time in more than a year.

Ethel Maxwell had been unable to visit her daughter Nessie, who has been hospitalised for much of the past year.

But mother and daughter were together on Saturday for a tea party thrown by the staff of Castle View nursing home, Salisbury, where Ethel has lived since last year.

The special reunion put the finishing touch on a landmark birthday that Nessie said her mother was very lucky to have reached.

"She has never been a strong-looking woman but she lives for her family.

"As long as we are here, she won't want to leave us," she said.

Ethel was born in St Ann's Street, Salisbury, the youngest of 11 children.