YOUNG at heart Sarah Piprell enjoyed prime time when Tony Blair dropped her a line to say many happy returns for her 100th birthday.

Rivington View Nursing Home, Horwich, saw scenes of celebration yesterday when Sarah's family and friends gathered to toast her first century in style.

And the day was made extra special when a host of high-profile public figures, including the Prime Minister, William Hague and Charles Kennedy wrote to wish her all the best.

Closer to home Sarah was honoured by Mayor of Bolton Cllr Alan Wilkinson who presented her with a Millennium Plaque.

Sarah, whose maiden name is Le Marinel, was born on the Channel Isle of Jersey a century ago -- one of 11 children.

She married neighbouring Guernsey islander Harold Piprell who died in 1963.

As war clouds gathered in Europe with the onset of World War Two, Sarah and her family were evacuated from their Jersey home to Bolton.

After the war Sarah returned to Jersey but decided to move back to Bolton to be near hear daughter Joyce Winnard, who stayed on after marrying a local man.

And since then Sarah's family has continued to grow and she has three grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren and seven great great grandchildren -- many of who were at her special party.

The party was kept as a complete surprise from Sarah who, up until February, still lived in her own house in Sunlight Road, Bolton.

Grandchild Howard Winnard and wife Miriam, who had a hand in organising the big day, decided to make it extra special by writing to 80 public figures asking them to send birthday wishes.

"The response was fantastic," said Miriam. "We knew she would be getting a message from the Queen but she is very keen on politics and current affairs and is as sharp as a pin, so we wrote off to everyone we could think of and the vast majority wrote back."

As well as the three political leaders Sarah received birthday greetings from House of Commons speaker Betty Boothroyd and Jersey's bailiff or leading citizen Sir Philip Bailhache who sent best wishes on behalf of everyone on the island.

A devout Christian and life-long salvationist Sarah also received birthday greetings from the Salvation Army's global commander-in-chief General John Gowans.

"The book of congratulations was only a small part of the celebration," said Miriam. "The family have also bought Sarah a bench with an inscription on it which will be placed in the nursing home grounds for her and the other residents' uses."

Grandson Howard added: "She has had three loves in her life, the first is God and she has been always willing to help anyone less fortunate than herself, the second is her family and the third is Jersey which, while she loves Bolton, she still classes as her home."