Leigh Park centenarian Ivy Hall receives 200 cards on milestone birthday

Born on March 20, 1924, in Fulham, Ivy celebrated her special milestone with a family afternoon tea at Little Bay Eatery, Queens Parade, Waterlooville on Wednesday (March 20) afternoon. With her countless cards,after daughter, Sharon, posted about Ivy’s birthday on a Leigh Park community group, Ivy says she is ‘immensely’ happy - with some letters hailing from as far as Australia.

“The most important lesson in life is to be happy and eat fish and chips,” she laughs.

Born to Florence and Albert Wells, Ivy had a loving childhood with her siblings. During the Second World War, Ivy’s mum worked at Ashford Hospital in Middlesex, after they moved outside of London to be near to the countryside. Ivy’s dad was an army tank driver and later had his own roofing business.

Aged 16, Ivy started work at the Paper Cap factory in Bedfont, Middlesex, where she worked for about five years before meeting her late husband Alfred. They met when she was about 20 and he was 22 and Ivy says they ‘got talking’ after she bumped into him and his friends after coming out of a cinema.

The lovebirds tied the knot on D-Day on June 6, 1944, in an intimate ceremony at a register office in Ashford, Middlesex. “He ran away for the day [from Navy duties] so they could get married,” says daughter, Kim, from Leigh Park.The couple went on to have nine children and Ivy has dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

On turning 100, Ivy says: “I still go up to Park Parade shopping [with help from family]. I’d like to be more independent but I mustn’t because it’s too dangerous.” She jokes, “I’m a dangerous woman.”

Ivy’s special day was shared with flowers, cards and a huge 100 balloon from close family to mark the occasion. The Little Bay Eatery pulled out all the stops to make Ivy’s day that extra bit special. Kim puts her mum’s longevity down to her ‘zest for life’. “She never wants to give up,” she smiles.

Sharon Hall, Ivy’s youngest daughter, adds: “My mums’ secret is she giggles a lot. She’s just a happy lady.”