Perky Elsie Yates celebrated her 100th birthday at the care home on Ruspers Road, Ifield on Friday and reckons she's been a fan of the black stuff since she was a nipper.

Birthday girl Elsie and four generations of her family celebrated the day with a cake, music, champagne and of course, a sup of Guinness.

The centenarian's nephew, Brian Hall, 62, from Furnace Green, explained how his aunt had spent many years in service for the cream of society – even waiting on celebrities.

He said: "Elsie always worked in service, and for lords and ladies and when they went away for the summer I would go and stay with her in big manor houses in St Johns Wood.

"I remember when she used to work for Sir Louis Sterling and on a Sunday at the London Pavilion all the stars used to go back to his house and she used to cook lunch for them all."

Born and brought up in Kilburn, Elsie stayed in service into her late 70s, finally serving as a 'lady's lady', before she moved to Crawley around 24 years ago.

One of 14 siblings, she moved to be close to her little sister, Nina Hall and her husband George, who live in nearby Tangmere Road in Ifield.

Nina said: "Fourteen in the family and only two of us left – they would have loved to have seen all this."

Nina fondly remembered herself as a schoolgirl, boiling an egg for her sister every Wednesday when she visited home on her day off.

Clare Hook, 43, from North London, has known Elsie since she was born and was there to help her cut the cake.

She said: "My grandmother and Elsie were best friends so I've known her all my life.

"She carried on working until she was nearly 80 years old, even up until a couple of months ago she carried on laying all the tables in here.

"My main memories as a child are of her cooking, she was such a fantastic cook.

"We used to go to Regents Park and feed the ducks and then we'd go to the pub and Elsie and my grandmother would share a Guinness!"