The key to reaching your 100th birthday is to ‘live a decent life’, according to Dolly Lennard.

Dolly celebrated the milestone birthday at New Fairholme Care Home in Oswestry on Saturday, surrounded by friends and family.

A born and bred Londoner, Dolly was born in Hither Green, south-east London, and lived in the same house right until she moved to New Fairholme two years ago. Her grandparents moved into the house in 1912, meaning that the house has been in the family for more than 100 years.

Dolly spent her life working as a nurse, treating soldiers injured during the Second World War at Hither Green Hospital.

The road she lived on and the school down the road were hit during the Blitz.

She met her husband Bill at a dance and were together for many years until he passed away. They had no children, but Dolly played a big part in her niece Kathryn’s life.

Kathryn continued: “Dolly used to love going out – she was never in. She’d go into London to see the lights, and she enjoyed going to Hyde Park.

“She loves the Royals and would often camp out to see them, even into her 80s.”

And Dolly has some sound advice to reaching the ripe old age of 100 – “don’t abuse life, and live a decent life,” she says.