A WOMAN with a history of long life in her family celebrates her 100th birthday today but says she feels far younger than her years.

Winifred Attwell of Bevere Drive, Bevere, Worcester, will raise a toast to her 100th birthday, surrounded by family and friends.

Mrs Attwell is the third member of her family to reach the rare milestone - her father Alfred Wilkes and her brother Frank both lived to be 100 and her two sisters also had long lives - May lived to be 98 and Elsie 95.

Mrs Attwell said: "I'm quite pleased to be 100 but I certainly don't feel it."

Mrs Attwell was secretary to the head post master at Pierpoint Street, Worcester, before she married Thomas Attwell, the first head teacher of Nunnery Wood School, at Claines Church in August 1934.

The couple lived in Leeds for 10 years during World War Two while her husband taught as a senior master in the city's Roundhay School before the couple returned to Worcester in 1944.

Her husband died in 1964 at the age of 55.

Mrs Attwell has a long history in Worcester - she was born in the city and her grandfather, Richard Wilkes, was a master builder there.

Her favourite hobbies are embroidery, china painting and crosswords.

Family and friends are having a party in the Wagon Wheel inn in Grimley - 44 people are invited, including her children, Gillian and Clifford.