One of the newest residents at a care home for the elderly had a day to remember on Tuesday, when friends and staff threw her a surprise party to mark her 100th birthday.

Constance Elson enjoyed some homemade birthday cake and the company of new friends at the Westmead care home in Tavistock Road, Westbourne Park.

Constance spent her early days in the West End and landed a job in the rag trade on leaving school.

After later becoming a showroom model, she worked as a dressmaker and moved to Victoria in the 1960s, where she lived for more than 40 years.

The eldest of eight siblings, Constance lost her husband Frank in the 1950s and has lived by herself ever since, arriving at Westmead in mid-August.

Her daughter, June Torrance, 73, who lives off the Fulham Road in Chelsea, said: “She is a Londoner, born and bred. She was clever with her hands and could make anything; she sewed beautifully.

“She loves Radio 4 because her sight is so poor she can’t see the television any more, and she is a total authority on The Archers!

“The party was marvellous. She is so happy at Westmead, and that’s because the staff there are phenomenal. They made a cake for her and everything!”