It will be a milestone 100th birthday celebration for a St Ives great-grandmother who is still “bright as a button”.

Lucia Cece moved to Huntingdonshire in 1962 from Castelnuovo Parano, just outside Rome, in Italy.

Spending time with loved ones is important for Lucia, who is still looked after by family at her home that she has lived at for almost 60 years.

Born on February 3 1921 she was one of four children who saw the devastation of the Second World War before meeting her husband Giuseppe Cece after it had finished.

Lucia and Giuseppe married in 1948 and had two daughters, Toni and Lina, and the family decided to make the move to England in the early 1960s to start a new life.

Lucia worked as a factory girl in St Ives, while Giuseppe also found work nearby, thanks to relatives already living in England.

Lucia has six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

“We are happy to see her reach this special birthday especially through this pandemic,” daughter Toni said.

“Mum is brilliant for her age; she eats freshly prepared food daily and enjoys family time and watching Italian TV shows.

“My dad passed away 10 years ago, but they both used to enjoy gardening and travelling back home to Italy.

“Mum is bright as a button and we are looking forward to her being able to catch up with family and friends on video calls on her birthday.”

Toni said that Lucia has remained positive throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and hopes that she will be contacted for the vaccine soon.

“Mum comes from such a strong family,” Toni continued.

“She has a sister who is 97 and a brother who is 90.

“She has a lot of friends in St Ives who are from all over Italy and became like a family when they first moved to England, because they were in a similar situation.

“We would have loved to be able to celebrate mum’s birthday with a special party, but due to lockdown we will hold calls over Facetime instead and spread some cheer that way.”