A GREAT great grandmother of ten celebrated her 108th birthday yesterday.

Florence Millicent Jenkins, who is known as Milly, celebrated the occasion with members of her family.

Joining her for the special occasion were her two sons Denis, from Cwmbran, and Alan, from Reading.

Yesterday, dressed in a red and black outfit, she opened a telegraph from The Queen, had numerous bouquets of flowers in her favourite colours, red and white, as well as receiving boxes of chocolates and clothes.

Presented with two birthday cakes to mark the occasion, members of her family- which includes nine grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and ten great-great-grandchildren- popped in throughout the day.

The former pupils and dinner lady of Garndiffaith School also enjoyed a special tea party with other residents at Ty Ceiros nursing home in Pontypool, where she has resided since May 2011.

Mrs Jenkins, who has now lived in Garndiffaith for nearly 70 years, is described as having a “lovely singing voice” by her daughter-in-law Elspeth Jenkins.

She said: “She really enjoyed her day as did the other residents who celebrated with her.

“We had a lovely tea party and Milly also sang us a song, which was wonderful to hear.”

Mrs Jenkins was born in Garnant, near Ammanford in 1906 and moved to Garndiffaith as a young girl.

She attended Garndiffaith School until she was 14, and then moved to London to work for a doctor and his wife.

She later returned to Wales and worked at ROF Glascoed as an ammunition inspector.

Mrs Jenkins went on to work in the canteen at Vipond's Collieries, at Deakon's slope in Varteg and then later in the canteen at ICI Fibres before she retired aged 62.

But she did not stay retired for long, and soon returned to her old school to become a dinner lady, where all the children referred to her as 'Auntie Milly'.

She retired from this role aged 70.

Mrs Jenkins was also a member of the Varteg Wesleyan Chapel and joined the sisterhood there.

Despite being the nursing home’s oldest ever resident, Mrs Jenkins is a keen singer and often can be heard singing hymns at Ty Ceiros, as well as dancing at the nursing home's events.

She is still a supporter of Welsh rugby and thoroughly enjoys watching the games on the TV.

Mrs Jenkins has memories of when the Titanic sank, despite being a young child at the time and she shares stories of meeting The Queen.

She even has her own version of The Lord’s Prayer, which she loves to tell the staff.

She is said to be of a determined character as despite a fall a few years ago, in which she fractured her spine, she learnt to walk again.

Mrs Jenkins is the widow of Gordon Jenkins who was originally from Blaenavon.