A WOMAN who was a nurse in the Vale of Glamorgan during World War Two has recently celebrated her 110th birthday.

Mary Keir was a ward sister at Llandough Hospital and survived a bomb attack while treating patients.

Ms Keir saw the bomb dropping on the hospital as she worked and thought it was the end for her.

"It (the bomb) whistled as it came down from the plane, and I remember saying to myself: ‘Oh God, this is my end’," said Ms Keir.

"There was an almighty smash, terrible sound, all the glass about 60 windows, smashed to smithereens."

Thankfully, Ms Keir survived the attack and has reached the ripe old age of 110.

She believes the secret to living a long life is keeping your brain active and busy.

Ms Keir said: "The secret is to never be without thinking, reading, what I call keeping the brain busy.

"They say that experience dictates knowledge and validates it.

"If you don’t know something find out, never let yourself flop.

"Simply use the brain, think, and always keep thinking.”

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Ms Keir used to live independently next to her 70-year-old son, Robert, until she was 99 years old.

Now she resides in Awel Tywi Care Home in Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire.

"I like to be independent," said Ms Keir.

"When I came here first, I don’t think they were used to someone being so independent. I wash myself, put things away, make my own bed.

"Now it’s a bit of a struggle to get down to my feet and that sort of thing but they’re good to me here, very good."

Ms Keir enjoys playing the keyboard, reading the paper, and writing to friends and was one of the first care home residents in Wales to receive a Covid vaccine in December 2020.