FAMILY members marked Mabel Soul’s 100th birthday celebrations with a party at the Northwich care home where she been a resident since 2010.

The celebrations were attended by her son Stephen and daughter Kathleen, her granddaughter Michelle and her children Ben and Daisy.

“The day was a huge success, mum really enjoyed it and everyone had a lovely day,” said Stephen, from Kingsmead.

“The home provided a lovely cake in the shape of the number one hundred, decorated the home and provided a singer, and staff who were not due to work that day came in to wish her well.

“Mum had telegrams from The Queen and Iain Duncan Smith [Secretary of State for Work and Pensions], and lots of cards from her family.

“The home has been absolutely wonderful, and I could not have asked for anything better.”

Mabel was entertained by singer Sandra Currie, and received presents and cards from staff and cards from residents’ families.

Mabel Louise Soul was born Mabel Louise Brazier on November 19, 1915 in Seven Kings, Ilford, Essex.

She lived in Seven Kings all her life until living alone became too difficult at the age of 94, when she moved into Daneside Mews Care Home in Chesterway in February 2010, close to her son Steve Soul, who has lived on the Kingsmead estate since 1996.

She had three elder brothers, two elder sisters and a younger sister. One of her sisters lived until she was 102.

She married Kenneth Oliver Soul in 1939, who died in 1985 when Mabel was 70.

She has four grandchildren, two boys and two girls. Her granddaughter, Michelle Gibson, lives on the Kingsmead estate.

She has eight greatgrandchildren - two live on Kingsmead, one lives in Hastings and five live in Zimbabwe.

“During The Second World War mum travelled the length and breadth of the country with her husband, who installed key telephone exchanges in buildings disguised as farm buildings to avoid the attention of German bombers,” said Stephen.

“While her husband was alive their passion was old time sequence dancing, which they took part in every week.”