A woman who was born before the Wills Tobacco Factory was built and went to work there throughout her entire career has celebrated her 106th Birthday.

Amy Bennett had cake and tea at the Riversway Nursing Home in St George with her nephew Trevor Bennett and his wife Diane.

Diane, 69 from Nailsea said "Aunty Amy is a lovely women. She always has a sunny disposition for visitors. She never complains".

Amy was born in March 1903-nine years before the Wills Tobacco factory was built.

She grew up in a large family with her parents Alfred and Elizabeth Bennett in New Kingsway Roadin St Philip's.

She said she never imagined she would live to see 106, despite a history of people in her family living for a long time.

Amy attended the Barley Fields School in St Philip's - now Hannah More Primary - from the age of three to fourteen.

At fourteen she went to work at theWills Factory in the packing room and worked her way up to cigarette examiner. Her family describe her as caring, lovely and adventurous women who travelled across Europe in her youth.

Amy said “I started smoking a short- lived brand of cigarettes when I was 18 called Bristol cigarettes.

But I was never a heavy smoker and only smoked now and again.

I decided to give up a long time ago, but I would still have the odd cigarette in my 60s. That's the last time i remember smoking".

Please visit  Evening Post  to view full news article published in the Bristol Evening Post on 03/04/09