MAUD Styles, who was 100 on Monday, November 9, puts her long life down to doing things in moderation.

Mrs Styles moved to Sandridge Tower Nursing Home, Bromham, earlier this year to be nearer her family in Worton. She celebrated her 100th birthday with family members.

A Cockney, she was born within the sound of the Bow Bells.

She grew up in Wimbledon and met her future husband, Leslie, at their local church.

They married in 1929 and lived in Wembley. Mr Styles worked for the General Electric Company.

Mrs Styles paid a deposit of about £5 for their house.

They had two children, Joan, who was born in 1930 and John, who was born a year later.

Mrs Styles' life, however, has been beset by tragedy as her husband died in 1939 of tuberculosis, her daughter died of cancer in 1976 and her son died after a heart attack in 1989.

Following her husband's death Mrs Styles could not afford to stay at her home in Wembley and she and her children moved in with her mother and sister in Blackheath.

Mrs Styles became a clerical worker and was promoted to the post of import and export manager for a company in London.

When her children were working they returned to live at the house in Wembley, which she had let out.

She moved to Berkshire in 1961 to be near to her son John and his family and later moved to Somerset.

She lived in her own house until she was 95 when she moved into a nursing home in Chewton Mendip.

Mrs Styles has two grandchildren, Christopher and Katherine, and two great grandchildren, Tara and Nhena.

Pamela Styles, Mrs Styles' daughter- in-law who lives in Worton, said: "She is a very genteel little lady and a very strong character. She believes in doing everything in moderation.

"She used to enjoy crocheting and she was a good cook. She taught me how to make a steak and kidney pudding and made rock cakes to die for."