Daughter of Gamleys founder celebrates 102nd birthday in Worthing – and the 100th birthday of the bear she was given when she was two

Miss Margaret Lord recalled the days the family lived over the shop in Hove, where her father, Bill Lord, founded the chain of toy shops in 1919.

She said: "My parents had the shop before they had us three girls. We all lived above the shop for years and years. We usually did everything together, as a family. We met kindness all the way. People were nice to each other."

Margaret was the middle child and she and her sisters Phyllis and Barbara were close. She recalls going to Devil's Dyke with her Dad to fly kites from Gamleys.

She was born to Bill and Sybil Lord in Hove on October 22, 1921, and lived there all her life until last year, when she came to Country Lodge Nursing Home, in Cote Street, High Salvington.

Carol Clark, from the home, said: "Her attitude and outlook on life is amazing. When she arrived with us, she stated 'imagine being 101 years old but I still feel I am young and working'. She is quite a character."

Margaret was given balloons, flowers and a lovely birthday cake to celebrate on Sunday and shared her birthday with the teddy bear she was given for her second birthday. Margaret said the bear came from Gamleys, of course.

Sharing her memories, Margaret said it was 'unbelievable' that she was 102. She said she and her sisters went to Brighton High School and she enjoyed being in the Brownies and the Girl Guides.

Margaret added: "People came to visit. For my dad, there was a lot of paperwork to do. He came down from Oxford. Everything was all about work, they did their bit, and there was all the cooking and the housework. I went on to work in the shop, as soon as I could get out of school."

Her father combined the names of the famous toy shops Gamages and Hamleys to make the name Gamleys, although the company he founded had no relationship with either. The chain became known as 'the toyshop of the south', expanding to a total of 17 stores from Eastbourne to Southampton but closed down in 2008.