Mary Neill celebrates her 100th birthday in Lanark

IT'S amazing to think that when the then Mary Stewart was born on December 22, 1910 the thrills of the Lanark Air Show were a memory just four months old, our current Queen's grandfather had just ascended the throne and the Titanic was still being built in a Belfast shipyard.

By The Newsroom

Published 29th Dec 2010, 16:58 BST

To say that the now Mrs Mary Neill has lived through eventful times – including two World Wars – would be a major understatement.

And so it is little wonder that family and friends came from far and wide to celebrate her centenary.

In fact, one special guest, South Lanarkshire's Provost Russell Clearie, probably had the least distance of all to travel to her birthday party on Wednesday.

Relatives had gathered at her Lanark home from as far afield as Texas, USA, Abu Dhabi, Wiltshire and Aberdeen to be there.

For more on Mary's 100 year life story, pick up a copy of this week's Lanark Gazette which is in the shops now.