A great-great-grandmother who has embraced Facebook and modern technology is celebrating her 109th birthday tomorrow.

Lily Strugnell, a resident of Barchester's Orchard House care home in Newport, Isle of Wight, was born the eldest of 11 children on August 6, 1904, in Portsmouth, Hampshire.

The daughter of a fisherman, she started her life technology-free - the first known photograph of her was when she married at the age of 22.

But now Mrs Strugnell is happy looking at family photos on Facebook and even has her own dedicated page allowing friends and relatives to keep in touch.

She said: ''I couldn't write my name until I went to school, when teachers stuck a pencil in my hand I thought it was a stick.''

She added: ''We didn't even own a camera because we couldn't afford it.''

On modern technology, such as the iPad of her grand-daughter Debbie Turner that she uses to view Facebook, she said: ''It's like magic.''

Mrs Turner, 52, said that although her grandmother was a living example of an older time, she had adapted to learn about the internet and computers.

She said: 'We take so much for granted now, when she went to school, she didn't have shoes.

''You can't imagine a child going to school without shoes nowadays, although she had shoes to go to church on Sundays.

''And when she was young she didn't have a car, she walked or caught the tram, they didn't have a car until the late 1950s.

''At the age of 107 she had to learn how to use a telephone, she had never had a telephone of her own.

''We bought her one with big buttons and she coped with it really, really well.''

Mrs Turner said that she had set up a Facebook page for her grandmother to help her keep in contact with friends and family.

She said she helps her grandmother update the page, which has 300 followers, with photos and status updates of her life in the nursing home.

Mrs Turner said: ''I think she's amazing. With Facebook one of the nice things is a lot of family she has lost touch with have found her and been able to get in contact.

''It's a lovely side-effect from Facebook that she has had messages from all over the world.''

Mrs Strugnell, who saw the Titanic set sail, said the secret of her longevity was: ''Strong will, plenty of patience and hard work.''

She has told her family: ''I will go when it's my time but not before.''

Mrs Strugnell, who only moved into the nursing home earlier this year after caring for herself, is the last of her large band of siblings.

She said: ''First born and last to go.''

Karen Oliver, general manager at Orchard House, said: ''Lily is an absolute joy to care for and always makes the staff smile.

''We are amazed by Lily's rich life stories and all of us at Orchard House feel it is a privilege to be part of her life and this very special celebration. ''I'm sure she will post a photo or two on Facebook to her more than 300 followers.''

Mrs Strugnell, who married her husband Robert in 1927, is the oldest surviving war widow which is being commemorated by the attendance of Elaine Duggan of the War Widows Association at her birthday party tomorrow.

Ahead of her celebrations, Mrs Strugnell received her 10th birthday card from the Queen.

Mrs Strugnell heads five generations of her family.

She is the mother of four, grandmother to three, great grandmother to four and great great grandmother to three.