LONG-time Liphook woman Molly Baycroft celebrated her 100th birthday with a party for family and friends, as well as the traditional birthday card from The Queen.

Born and raised in Clanfield, Molly was the second youngest of six girls, and also had two brothers. She has survived them all by several years.

She excelled at school but like most of her sisters, went into service.

Her work took her to Bournemouth where she met her future husband, George, who was a gardener in the Bournemouth Pleasure Gardens.

They married on Boxing Day, 1939, and were together for more than 40 years until George died in 1981.

During the war years, George was on active service with the Royal Artillery and Molly moved to Milland to stay with her sister Anne, and worked in the Post Office stores.

When George was demobbed he got a job as a gardener in the village and after a short stay in Grayshott they moved in 1951 to Malthouse Meadows in Liphook, where they made their family home.

Molly has always been a keen gardener and enjoys watching wildlife.

She likes crosswords and playing Scrabble, but her main interest is her family. Molly’s surviving children, Gloria and Les, both live locally and she has six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.