A great-great-grandmother from Shelf was celebrating her 100th birthday today.

Emma Verity, a former mill worker, was marking the occasion with a family meal, her son Arthur said.

She met and married Arthur senior before having a son and daughter. She now has seven grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. Her husband died in 1990.

One of her grand-daughters travelled from Australia to be with Mrs Verity on her birthday and another, Larraine Smith, travelled from London where she sang for the Queen as part of the Military Wives Choir at the big Diamond Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace on Monday. Mr Verity said his mother enjoyed cooking and gardening and keeps fit by walking.

“A couple of years ago she was walking from Shelf to see family in Wibsey,” he said.