Not many centenarians could say they still enjoy a game of bridge - but Mrs Margaret Prentice, of Sealyham, is an exception to the rule.

Mrs Prentice, who celebrated her 100th birthday on Saturday, still enjoys a regular game with her family and until three years ago she was a member of a bridge club!

She and her late husband Douglas were a formidable pair of bridge players and she still plays with skill and flair.

Mrs Prentice moved to Sealyham in 1997 to be with her daughters Margaret Hone and Valerie Richards. The sisters and their husbands, John and Sam, run the Sealyham Activity Centre.

Mrs Prentice was born Margaret Anstice Harding in South Petherton, the third child of a well-known Somerset family.

Her older brother Alan, after distinguished service in both world wars, rose to the rank of Field Marshall and was later created Lord Harding of Petherton.

After leaving school she trained at the Norland Institute in London as a childrens nurse in which capacity she later worked in the UK and on the continent.

In 1929, she married Douglas Prentice, also of Somerset, and accompanied him to Venezuela where he worked for many years with the Shell Petroleum Company. Both her daughters were born there. Later, they returned to England and lived at Sunbury-on-Thames just outside London.

Mrs Prentice has seven grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren, who live all over the world. One of her grand-daughters is new route climber Emma Alford, who has been featured on HTV climbing the Old Man of Hay in Scotland.

Mrs Richards said although her mother was now rather deaf, she was still very alert. She celebrated her birthday with a family party.

Caption: Mrs Margaret Prentice, who was 100 on Saturday PICTURE: Western Telegraph.