Ref. 27188-1A 104-YEAR-OLD Trowbridge woman is still young at heart despite witnessing three centuries.

Norah Hassell was born in India in 1899 but moved to Trow-bridge soon after marrying a naval officer in 1924.

She spent her 104th birthday on Saturday celebrating with her family at Shearwater.

She said: "The time just flies by I never think of how old I am and sometimes I can't believe it."

One of 11 children, Norah was married for 60 years and worked for most of her life at McKay Cloth Mill in Trowbridge. Philip Rendall, her great nephew, said: "She has never thought of herself as being old, even when she was in her 90s she would help out at centres looking after the elderly."

She is fluent in Spanish after her travels took her to Gibraltar, South Africa and India.

She said: "Gibraltar was my favourite place, the people were lovely, friendly and beautiful."

But she puts her longevity down to an Indian ceremony on the day she was born.

She said: "A holy man put pinkness into my cheeks and said as long as the colour was with me I would stay alive."