Beryl Cattell arrived on this earth in Carno village on 12 August 1924- 100 years ago this year.

Since arriving, ‘Rosina Beryl Gittins’ has done many things including creating a family - two children, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren - and becoming a nurse at the “end of the world” in Cardiff.

Beryl has long been an inspiration to her family- becoming a widow at 55, she lives deliberately, outliving her siblings and life-long friends.

She attributes her longevity to her genes and “not what we ate” (which was a lot of mashed potato)- her older sister passed away at a lofty 102 years.

Her ‘belligerent’ spirit, as her son describes it, meant she only entered a care home at age 98.

Beryl said: “You have to put your mind to it!

“I sat down and thought- this is it.

“I’ve got to do this on my own.

“It’s no good moaning and not doing anything about it.”

She remembers Carno fondly: “It was a very happy time, we were one big family, everyone knew everyone- we’d helped one another out.

“It was a busy village, I was in the chapel choir and took part in Eisteddfod twice.”

She was one of two in her village to attend Newtown Grammar School and spoke only Welsh until age 12.

Though her family was never rich her parents made “great sacrifices” to get her in: “I envied the girls at the grammar school.

“They had more money than we did and I thought we should all have the same.

“We didn’t have money, but we had fun.”

She helped her father out after her mum passed suddenly during her teens- collecting buckets of water for the washhouse her terrace shared, sweeping and getting groceries in exchange for toffees.

She last visited Carno three years ago, saying it’s “much changed”: “It’s full of people who speak English and work in Newtown.

“The post office is gone, the shops are gone, my chapel- nothing’s left now.

“It was sad to see but that’s progress, isn’t it?”

In Cardiff she met a handsome medical student Maldwyn Cattell who wooed her with theatre tickets, whisking her off to Nigeria after marrying as part of the Colonial Service in 1950, where they had two children, Roger and Miriam.

Returning to Cardiff, Beryl and Maldwyn founded a Fine Arts Society- she still enjoys theatre, music, “meeting people and going out”: “There is always plenty to do between societies, bridge club and the church.

“I take every day as it comes.

“I don’t expect anything, so every day is a nice surprise.

“I just try and enjoy what I’ve got ahead of me.”

She still keeps active in the home, going out, gardening and teaching the residents Welsh.

Helen Kendra, Beryl’s niece, said: “Beryl is a firecracker, she’s always been adventurous, she’s sassy and passionate about the arts.

“She’s always been supportive of me but doesn’t hold back her opinions, that’s for sure!

“I can’t wait to celebrate with her as she turns this landmark age.”