A LONG time Rhyl resident turned silver surfer to celebrate her 100th birthday.
Olive Davies, who spent almost 60 years of her life on the coast, celebrated her century at the end of January with family from across the globe.
Although not everyone could make it to her party in her care home in Staffordshire, Olive took to the web to chat to her overseas kin.
Her daughter Sian Anderson, a former Ysgol Llewellyn and Rhyl Grammar School pupil, said the family moved to live in Rhyl from Dolgellau in 1960.
She said: “My father was John Idris Davies who worked as a manager for WHSmiths until his retirement in 1971, after 50 years service. He passed away in 1986 aged 80.
“My mother Olive was born in Whitley, near Coventry and worked as a librarian for WH Smiths in Coventry, which is where they both met. They were married in the old Coventry Cathedral in 1936. They had two children, five grandchildren and five great grandchildren.”
Olive’s youngsters are far flung, as her son David who qualified as a professor in pathology, now lives in Sydney in Australia, and other offshoots of the family tree live in California.
Sian, who worked as an auxiliary nurse at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and went on to train in London, said her mother was a stalwart member of St Thomas’ Church in Rhyl and did a great deal of voluntary work with the WRVS, even gaining a long service medal.
Olive’s staying power is not just confined to her work and age - she was married to husband John for almost 50 years until his death.
Sian said: “Olive lived in Rhyl for 60 years in total. She spent the last two years at Dolanog Retirement Home before moving to be nearer the family, here in the Staffs Moorlands, last Spring.
“She enjoyed her birthday party immensely with most of the family present - and talking over the Internet to those who weren't.”