Elsie Davey, who defied the odds to beat childhood polio, has celebrated her 100th birthday with a cup of tea and slice of cake.
Miss Davey was born on November 24, 1908, the daughter of Fanny and Edward Samuel Davey.
Struck down by polio as a child, she was left disabled but never let the illness stop her.
Her nephew Andrew Davey, 53, paid tribute to his aunt for her de
termination and courage.
He said: "The disease affected both her legs and she had to use crutches and built-up boots to get around.
"She was determined to lead a full life and overcame many of the obstacles in front of her.
"She dug her heels in and got on with it. She didn't give up easily.
"I suppose that was part of having gone through various illnesses as a child.
"I have nothing but admiration for her."
Miss Davey celebrated her 100th birthday at Haddington's Florabank care home, where she now lives.
Born in Peterborough, she spent her life working as a primary school teacher in the town before moving to East Lothian to be close to her family.
She was joined by her relatives as she drank tea, ate birthday cake and received a congratulatory telegram from the Queen to mark the special occasion.
Miss Davey's sister-in-law, fellow Florabank resident Una Davey, 90, helped her celebrate, along with her nephew Mr Davey and his wife Fiona, 53.
He added she was a bit of a "reluctant celebrity" and didn't want any fuss for her 100th birthday.
He said: "Her sight is failing, but her spirit is as strong as ever.
"She is a real get up and go person."
In true living-life-to-the-full style, adventurous Miss Davey, who was a keen traveller, once rode a camel in Egypt while on holiday and drove more than 300 miles at the age of 80 from Peterborough to Longniddry, where her nephew used to live.
Mr Davey said: "She travelled quite a bit both on public transport as well as in her own mini.
"She was driving up until she was in her 80s."
He added: "She did do quite a bit of knitting at one time. She was the sort of person that liked to have conversations with various people, she was quite knowledgeable."
Miss Davey was also a keen gardener and showed a lot of interest in nature.
The full article contains 418 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
