A woman who has lived in Ballaugh and Onchan has celebrated her 100th birthday with a party at Sunnydale Residential Home, in Douglas.

Ivie Corlett, who was born in Scotland, was visited by Lieutenant Governor Sir Richard Gozney during the celebrations on Monday.

The Lieutenant Governor presented her with a bunch of sweet peas freshly picked from his garden and she received a card from the Queen.

Sunnydale manager Caroline Hughes said: 'Ivie is a wonderful lady with a marvellous sense of humour and is much-loved by staff and residents at Sunnydale. We wish her a very happy 100th birthday. She is a pleasure and honour to have at Sunnydale.

’She is the life and soul of the home entertaining staff and residents with her many jokes and sayings.’

Asked what the secret of a long life was, Ivie said: ’To always to keep cheery and give folk a laugh.’

Ivie was born on July 24, 1917 in Dundee. She also had a sister. Sadly both her mother and sister passed away the following year in 1918 when the flu epidemic was rife.

Ivie was just 15-months-old and grew up to be a strong determined woman. Her father was in the Army and when the Second World War ended he remarried and went on to have a son and daughter. Ivie herself married at the age of 21 and had two daughters, Ivie and Sylvia, and a son Howard.

She moved to the Isle of Man in 1963 after her father passed away. In 1967 she got divorced and later married Sid Corlett from Ballaugh. Ivie and Sid enjoyed camping holidays in their camper van, and also loved parties and held many parties for their friends. Ivie played the organ and would love to entertain at the parties.

When Sid passed away Ivie moved in with her daughter Ivie and son-in-law Ron in Onchan. Ivie stayed with her daughter for 20 years until last year when she moved into Sunnydale.

She has nine grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.