VIOLET Mitchell has cele-brated her 100th birthday surrounded by her proud family.

And the centenarian’s “eyes lit up” when she opened her card from the Queen.

Mrs Mitchell was born in Wantage on August 25 1911 and marked reaching the incredible milestone with a party with about 30 friends and relatives at the Sotwell Hill House retirement home in Brightwell-cum-Sotwell on Thursday.

Her son David, his wife, five grandchildren and seven great grandchildren all helped her celebrate.

Son David, 72, said: “It was a brilliant party. We got the birthday card from the Queen and Mum’s eyes lit up when she saw that, it was a high point.

“She really did smile when she saw the Queen’s photo and signature.”

In the year Mrs Mitchell was born, International Women's Day was celebrated for the first time, the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre in Paris, and mail was delivered by air officially for the first time.

It was also the year explorers first reached the South Pole.

Mrs Mitchell, nee Payne, one of seven children, first lived in Naldertown, Wantage, and star-ted working at Badgers drapers in the town at the age of 15.

Her father Albert Payne was killed after he was injured in the First World War.

After marrying Frederick Mit-chell in 1938, the couple then moved to Woodstock and she got a job in the drapery business with J Banbury & Sons.

She moved back to Wantage during the Second World War while her husband joined up and left for India serving with the Royal Air Force.

David Mitchell said his parents were keen on amateur dramatics and performed in many Gilbert and Sullivan productions in Woodstock Town Hall.

In 1978 Mr and Mrs Mitchell moved to Portway in Didcot and Mr Mitchell died in 2001.

Mrs Mitchell moved to Cholsey and then to the retirement home in 2009.