"A brandy a day and the odd cigarette": Great-great grandmother's secret as she celebrates 100th birthday

There was a double cause for celebration for five generations of one Hartlepool family as they celebrate the New Year and the milestone birthday.

Kathleen Lambert, who was born in London in 1919, celebrated entering her 11th decade on December 31, 2019, as friends and family travelled from far and wide to be with her.

After growing up in Brighton with her sisters Ruby and Winnie, Kath moved to Hartlepool in 1947, where she has lived ever since.

During the Second World War, Kath worked in the women’s branch of the Royal Air Force, which is where she met her husband Robert and the couple went on to run Lambert’s newsagents on Stockton Road for many years.

Kath, who has three children, Will, Peter and Susan, now lives on Granville Avenue with her daughter. Her great-great grandson Felix is due to turn three in 2020.

“We are a really close family and enjoy spending time together and having lunch on a Sunday,” said Kath's great-granddaughter, Amanda.

“Kath is our queen and she is a true diamond - we are blessed to have her in our lives.”

Once a keen golfer and bowler, on her birthday Kath shared the unusual secret to her long and happy life.

“She believes it’s down to home-cooked food and a loving family, plus a brandy a day and the odd cigarette,” said Amanda.

“She feels delighted to reach 100 and is just grateful to still be able to spend time with her family.”

Kath couldn’t stop smiling when she received a telegraph from the Queen wishing her happy birthday, and on New Years Eve her family and friends travelled from as far as Scotland, Manchester, Eastbourne, Andover and France to raise a glass to the occasion in her hometown.

“We celebrated by having a tea party that was fit for a queen,” added Amanda.

“It was a perfect way to spend the last day of 2019.”