Double celebration for Sunderland 100th birthday girl Jenny Dixon

"I have had a lovely life."

Jenny Dixon has been given the Royal seal of approval with a card from King Charlies and Queen Camilla on her 100th birthday.

Jenny had a double celebration at the weekend, with a party at her home at Lansbury Court care home in Castletown and then a family meal at The Wessington pub the following day.

Jenny had three daughters. The eldest, Beryl, passed away 27 years ago, but Yvonne and Val were on hand to share their mum's big day.

"My dad died when he was 50 - my mum has been a widow for 48 years," said Yvonne.

"She worked in the Plessey canteen and at the Seaburn Hotel at weekends as a silver service waitress for functions."

Jenny only moved into Lansbury Court recently: "She lived at Castledene Court for 32 years and loved it," said Yvonne.

"They went swimming, they used to play carpet bowls in the lounge - she had a lot of friends but over the years they have all gone.

"Mum was having a lot of falls so she moved here. The staff are lovely, they are all really good and the food is nice."

Jenny has three grandchild, three great-grandchild and her first great-great-grandchild Olivia was born in June.

She is happy to still be close to home.

"She is a Southwick girl and she won't have Southwick called," said Yvonne.

"She says it was a lovely village when she was a young girl. She used to go to Holy Trinity church up until about three tears ago - she used to go every Sunday and a lady still comes in and visits her and gives her Holy Communion.

"Saturday was her actual birthday and the home gave her a lovely party. We had a singer and everybody was up dancing and singing.

"On the Sunday there were 24 of us - we went to the Wessington for Sunday lunch and she thoroughly enjoyed it. They had a big bouquet of flowers for her and a card - they made us really welcome.

"She had two sisters, Rita and Vera, and the three of them were very close. She has nieces who she does not get to seevery often but they were there.

"It was a lovely afternoon."

Jenny herself puts her longevity down to 'hard work' - "I worked from being 14 and I never stopped untiI I came in here," she said - though she admits the occasional tot of whisky doesn't hurt.

"I have had a lovely life," she said.

"I had lovely parents and I have been lucky enough to have a lovely family."