Card error congratulates centenarian for 100 years of marriage

When Papatoetoe resident Mavis Lawson turned 100 on Tuesday she got the standard birthday card from the Queen but, rather puzzlingly, she also received a card from New Zealand Prime Minister John Key congratulating her on her "100th wedding anniversary".

The card, which had a picture of Mr Key on the front, had a typed message inside wishing her well on her 100th wedding anniversary. Under this was what appeared to be a hand-written note from Mr Key, saying: "I hope you had a happy time celebrating this very special day."

Michael Rodger, manager of Kenderdine Park rest home, where Mrs Lawson lives, said he laughed when he saw the card. "I can't believe anyone would make that mistake, someone had to type it on there."



A spokesperson for Mr Key said last night the error was regretted "and Mr Key would like to wish Mavis all the best for her 100th birthday".

Dressed in lilac from head to toe and with red balloons marked "I'm 100" on her walker, Mrs Lawson wasn't sure who the smiling man on the front of her card was.

When she heard it was the Prime Minister wishing her well on her 100th wedding anniversary, she looked a little perplexed. "Well I didn't have a wedding on my hundredth birthday. Someone must have told him wrongly, my husband's been playing with the angels for some years."