A WOMAN living in Worcester is celebrating a century of life today.

Even though she has reached 100 years, Violet Williams is showing no signs of taking it easy, confessing she still bakes cakes for the family and enjoys completing puzzles.

"I never thought about age," she said. "It's just come along. I never thought I was going to live to 100. It's marvellous."

When asked what the key to living a long life is, she replied: "I have worked hard. I don't drink and I don't smoke. I just go along with life placidly. I don't think I have ever quarrelled with anybody. I'm still young at heart."

Having lived through one of the most progressive centuries in history, Mrs Williams recalled memories of a number of historic events including the day the Titanic sank, the General Strike in 1926, the Great Depression, and both world wars.

Born in Lewisham, London, in 1907, she met her husband-to-be Trevor while she was working at Lipton's cafe in King's Cross railway station.

She married at the age of 19, and brought a plot of land in Colindale, north London, for £1 on which the couple built a semi-detached house.

At the beginning of the Second World War they moved to Jubilee Road in St John's because Trevor was working as an engineer on aircraft in the West Midlands.

Meanwhile, Mrs Williams worked at Gray's in St John's as an office assistant. During the war, the couple housed six evacuees from London as well as their only daughter June before moving to Droitwich to take over the running of a eight-bedroom private guest house in Corbett Street.

The family stayed there for 23 years before retiring to Llandudno, Wales, in 1969. She still has the house but lives semi-permanently with her daughter June and her husband Bill Watkins in Elbury Park Road, off Tolladine Road, Worcester.

Her daughter said she was proud to see her mum reach the landmark age and celebrated with a family gathering at the Fownes Hotel in Worcester last Sunday.