A FORMER teacher who lived through two world wars has marked her 107th birthday.

Ivy Hassell, who now lives at Mansion House care home in Althorne, celebrated the milestone birthday with her family last Wednesday with presents and tea and cake.

Ivy was born in 1910 in London later moving to Southend as a child.

She lived through the First and Second World Wars, and the Spanish flu epidemic in 1918.

Daughter Margaret Smith said: “She trained as a teacher, but in 1935 she got married to Harold and in those days you couldn’t be a married teacher, so she had to stop.”

The couple went on to have four children and took in a German Jew known as Elsie, who came to England on the Kindertransport.

They never formally adopted her, but Elsie lived with the family and remained close to them.

Ivy and Harold were both pacifists and became Quakers after the Second World War.

They moved to Tenerife after they retired in their 60s before returning to the UK.

Ivy, who has lived at Mansion House for 15 years, is one of the oldest people in the county.

Margaret said: “She was very good at music and loved playing the piano.

“She doesn’t play now but she listens to music. She was also into the arts and enjoyed painting.”

The family marked her birthday in Burnham enjoying an afternoon in the sunshine.

Margaret added: “She opened her presents and we had tea in the afternoon, the weather was nice and we were able to be outside.

“It was really nice and she loved seeing all the little ones.”

Ivy has 12 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren and nine great-great-grandchildren.