SHERRY glasses were charged at the weekend to celebrate the birthday of one of Yorkshire's oldest residents.

Marion Lily Blacklock turned 107 on Sunday and was joined by family and fellow residents at the Terrace Nursing Home in Richmond for a sherry party.

Mrs Blacklock moved into the care home in 1993, 15 years after her husband Bill's death, and her friendly nature makes her a favourite among staff.

Born in Edinburgh, Mrs Blacklock met Bill Blacklock in Newcastle. The couple lived in Billingham and Redcar when Mr Blacklock worked for ICI.

Mrs Blacklock has two children, five grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Her son, Richard, lives in Richmond but her daughter Effie Steijger flew from her home in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the party.

Mrs Steijger said her mother had a passion for travelling, though she didn't venture out of the UK until her late sixties.

"She travelled to Hong Kong, where my brother used to live, and to Paris, where I used to live. A few years ago she visited me in South Africa and she often went to Holland because I married a Dutch man and lived their for many years," she said.

Mrs Blacklock's remarkable health is owed to an active lifestyle.

Her daughter said: "She is still physically very active and well, and she always walks up the stairs and refuses to use the lift."