AN ACTIVE lifestyle, combined with not drinking or smoking, helped Dorothy Nash reach 100 years of age on Monday.

The pensioner, who has lived in Wiltshire throughout her whole life, celebrated reaching her century with family and friends at Market Lavington Care Home.

Mrs Nash is called Pedaller by many family members, a nickname which comes from the fact that she would cycle almost everywhere, even as she approached her 80s.

She was born on August 19, 1919 in West Kennet where she lived for many years.

After her time at school, she left education to go into service, in Potterne, where she was a housekeeper.

Mrs Nash then moved to Silbury Hill Cottages with her husband, Frederick.

She became a housekeeper, and nanny, for Jack Osmond, a local farmer, where she stayed for over 40 years.

This was the time when she would mainly use her bike, to get to and from work everyday between Silbury Hill and Beckhampton.

At this time, Mr Nash was working at Hughes farm, also in Beckhampton. He died in 1998.

Mrs Nash is currently the head of five generations within her family.

She has two children, Beryl and Andrew, eight grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren.

One of her great-great-grandchildren, Oliver Greenaway, shares the same birthday as Mrs Nash, turning 12 years old as his great-great-grandmother became a centenarian.

One of her granddaughters, Tracey Mercer, recalled fond memories of many Christmasses being spent at the home near Avebury.

She said: “Even though we only lived a mile away, we would always sleep at Granny’s house on Christmas Eve most years.

“She’s always been so incredible, and is still so well-loved by her family and many friends.

“The reason she’s made it to 100 is her clean living, she never drank, never smoked and always ate healthily.

“I will never forget ‘The Granny Special’, it was her chocolate cake recipe and it was amazing!”

Mrs Nash was also an extremely keen gardener, as well as keeping active by playing tennis all the way into her later life.

She was an active member of Avebury’s Over 60 Group, and was also a fan of bingo.

Beryl Greenaway, her 81-year-old daughter, said: “She was always such a good mother.

“She was always there for us through thick and thin, which showed how wonderful her personality was.

“We were always very well-fed by my mother. She would often make rock cakes, and produce enough to feed the whole village.”

Mrs Nash moved to HC-One’s Market Lavington Care Home three and a half years.

Mrs Mercer said the care home has been instrumental in her grandmother’s long life and happiness, allowing her to continue her healthy social life which has always been so important to her.