A Blaenau Ffestiniog woman has made history at a care home in Gwynedd.

Kathlyn Hughes is the first resident at Pendine Park’s Bryn Seiont Newydd to celebrate their 100th birthday there. Staff and family members organised a surprise party, and she received a large number of cards, including one from Queen Elizabeth II.

Kathlyn celebrated with son, Michael and grandson Aled. Sadly her other son, David, and his family were unable to attend the celebrations after testing positive for Covid-19. They plan to visit Kathlyn once they have recovered.

Kathlyn said of the surprise celebration: “I had no idea this was going to happen. The staff have been so busy preparing for this and I am so grateful. This is such a nice surprise. Thank you very much everyone.”

Son Michael said: “We really appreciate the hard work being done here with my mother and our thanks goes to everyone who has helped put on this birthday celebration.”

Audrey Phillips, a member of Bryn Seiont Newydd’s Enrichment team, said: “Everyone at Bryn Seiont Newydd was thrilled to help Joyce celebrate her 100th birthday. Kathlyn is a warm and wonderful lady, so we wanted to celebrate her birthday with this big surprise party.

“I can’t thank my team and Kathlyn’s family enough for their dedication in making this happen.”

When Kathlyn was born David Lloyd George was Prime Minister and King George V was the monarch.

She was raised at Tyddyn Gwyn Terrace, Manod, Blaenau Ffestiniog by parents Arthur Eric and Ellen Ann Darbyshire. Her father was a master carpenter and her mother a housewife. While her two brothers went on to study at university, Kathlyn was taken out of school at 12 years to assist with the family income by working as a housemaid.

“She aspired to become a hairdresser but her father would not condone her taking on an internship of three years without pay. Thank God that we now live in more enlightened times,” said David.

Prior to the Second World War she worked in various shops in Blaenau Ffestiniog but during the conflict worked in munitions factories at Reading and Newport in south Wales.

She married Gwilym Wynne Hughes in 1945, a railway man, and the couple settled in Dolgellau. They had two sons, David born in 1948 and Michael in 1956.

The family moved to Bala and then to Gellilydan where Gwilym worked at Trawsfynydd.

Kathlyn was widowed at the age of 45, leaving her to bring up their sons on her own. She was working in the Farmers co-op Shop at Gellilydan and took on cleaning jobs to look after her sons.

In 1968 the family moved to Blaenau Ffestiniog and Kathlyn worked in several shops. She retired from Briggs Store at 60.

“It is to her credit that she achieved so much when all the odds were against her, initially living in rented council accommodation to eventually owning her own home,” said David.