They sang ‘Seven Little Girls' for Joy Marbeck.

You know it '…sitting in the back seat, huggin and a kissin with Fred”.

This was more than apt for Joy. Because she has an eye for a handsome man.

Joy Marbeck and her daughters Alison Slight, Christine Marbeck and Tessa Beswick (Joanna Marbeck absent). Photo Bruce Barnard.

This is not disrespectful to 100-year-old Mrs Marbeck – ask her daughter Tessa. 'Oh yes, she's flirtatious, a real character around good-looking men.”

Even after she had a double operation on a broken hip recently, Joy was 'winking at the surgeons”.

'Oh please mum,” sighed the daughters. 'You can't do that.”

But this new centenarian did, shamelessly, and good on her. Joy doesn't have keen eyesight or hearing but she's blessed with an edge, spirit, and with steely blue eyes and a wonderful head of wavy, blindingly white hair. That's all good in a girl.

But there was no nonsense at the Enliven Carruth Day Programme in Bethlehem this week, where they celebrated her 100th birthday on Wednesday. It was all proper and nice and dignified and madeira cake.

There was a card from the Queen – 'Warm congratulations” it said. It was signed ‘Elizabeth', but was it touched by the Royal hand itself?

'I was hoping she would give me a diamond broach,” jokes Joy, a real present pilfered from the crown jewels. Not to be. While on matters royal, it's interesting Joy shares a birthday with another Her Royal Highness, the late Princess Di.

And there was another card, this one from John Key – 'a very special occasion” the Prime Minister observed. Nice of him to take the time.

Joy, now in her 101st year has a lively mind, loves numbers – she reels off her nine times tables to me – and retains facts and memories.

Like riding to school in West Auckland on a horse called ‘Nudge', like walking to school barefoot. 'However, Mum always tucked a flannel and towel in my pocket to clean my feet at the other end.”

Her dad was an artificer, an engineer in the Army – he looked after guns. And Joy can remember him taking her into the tunnels on North Head where some Boeing planes were hidden. She actually saw them. That adds fuel to an urban myth.

She also remembers a friend telling her she saw the Japanese submarine that sneaked into Auckland Harbour. Those were exciting times.

'And I remember the soldiers bringing the flu epidemic back from World War I.”

She told her daughters about black bodies being taken from the houses and the hearse making frequent trips past their house on the way to Waikumete Cemetery in Auckland. Not so exciting, not so nice.

Joy married a soldier, Harold in 1938, and had four daughters – all of them Christian.

'Where did I go wrong?” she would say. And suffice to say the girls and their Mum stopped discussing evolution a long time ago.

This is a woman who knows her own mind. She bred dogs, Japanese Chin dogs, and when a neighbour complained about her dogs it went to court.

The outcome is unclear but Joy packed up her house, her dogs and daughters and moved to the country. She would not be bowed.

And there's the obligatory question about longevity. But no, she has no advice. She has been in and out of hospital – and in fact she's had a couple of medical scrapes which have gone close to the brink. But she's of strong heart.

There was also the dramatic about her – Joy got sick one day and told her daughter she was dying. And there she is, sitting up like Jackie, half a century later.

'You are beautiful and strong,” an adoring granddaughter Katie tells her. Katie's right. Joy's a beautiful old person as old people can be. 'But I am not vain,” replies the old lady.

Now there's nothing left in the bucket list. 'I was waiting for the card from the Queen.” Well, it's been delivered, now what? 'I give up.”

'I think I will just not wake up one day. That would be a nice way to go.” A nice way for all of us Joy, but not yet please.

Happy 100^th birthday Joy.