DORIS Oakey, whose father died in the trenches in Belgium during the First World War, celebrated her 100th birthday with a party on Saturday.

The mother-of-four was born in Cambridge but moved to Chatteris aged four and lived there all her life until she moved into Lily House care home, in Ely.

Lilian Oakey, Doris’ younger daughter, said her mother had been looking forward to reaching 100.

She said: “My mother says ‘I’m going to be a centenarian, although she does not believe she will get a telegram from the Queen until she sees it with her own eyes.”

The family held a small party with a number of family and close friends attending the care home for a special birthday dinner.

Doris was employed as a cleaner and would cycle eight miles each way to work in a March launderette.

She was married to Reg, a farm worker, for 56 years before his death in 1990.

Lilian says Doris is proud of her Fenland heritage and loves to share her memories of the town.

She said: “My mother liked to knit and would bake cakes for the church, where she sung in a choir which performed at the Royal Albert Hall.

“Someone came to the house the other day and said she remembered getting the coconut ice from my mother for the cakes.

“When she was still at home we used to take her on walks around the town and she would tell me things about who lived where and the shops.

“She has a photo album which she likes to show the staff and visitors.”