A PURLEY grandmother with seven grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren celebrated her 100th birthday on Sunday, September 28.
Sybil Hamm was born in South Wales into a large family - she had four sisters and one brother.
She married George in 1939 and they moved to Croydon. George gave up his job as a miner and retrained as a carpenter.
The couple stayed in Croydon where they had three sons, Richard, Philip and Geoffrey.
Geoffrey, who still lives in Croydon, said that Sybil balanced being a mum with working to help support the family.
As a child she had various jobs to earn money to help her parents, and, once married, she worked in as a hotel maid before getting a job at Sainsbury's.
After retirement she became a member of the Addiscombe Townswomen's Guild where she was voted in as chairman.
"She was always very hard working," Geoffrey said. "And she was an excellent cook.
"We can all remember the smell of Welsh cakes around the house when we came home from school after she had been baking. Sunday roast was a must, always cooked to perfection and her apple pie and custard was unmissable."
Sybil celebrated her birthday with a party with friends and family at Elmwood Care Home where she has lived for 15 years.
"It was wonderful," Geoffrey said. "All the family turned up and all the residents were there.
"We got through about a dozen bottles of champagne and we had a big cake about two foot wide. The family loved it."
