ONE of the region's tiniest communities might once have held the key to long life.

A sign from the A68 points to Salter's Gate, near Tow Law, which is a hamlet of a few isolated cottages. But when Isaac Hirst celebrated his 100th birthday on Saturday, he became the second centenarian born there, joining Annie Pattison, 105 last week.

Mr Hirst remembers Annie from his childhood when they walked to school in Satley.

Like her, he moved to Tow Law, two miles away, where he lived for most of his adult life.

He came from a family of horsemen and used to take coal to the local goods station on his cart. In the winter he pulled a wooden snow plough, clearing roads around Tow Law.

Mr Hirst and his late wife, Gladys, had a son, Bill, and a daughter, Vera Lane. He lived at Tow Law until Vera died, when he moved to Crook.

Bill said: "I don't know what it was about Salter's Gate. It must be good air."

l A Victorian tea helped a former pub landlady to celebrate her 101st birthday.

Staff from the Lothian House Nursing Home, Spennymoor, arranged the event for its oldest resident, Lizzie Hall.

Special guest was Luke Raine, Darlington Football Club's director of football.

Mrs Hall ran the North Eastern pub in Spennymoor with her first husband, Matty Main, for almost 20 years.

She was born in Seaton Burn, Northumberland, but grew up at Metal Bridge, near Spennymoor.

It was while out dancing with friends in Spennymoor she met her husband Matty during the First World War.

They enjoyed a long marriage until he died just after they returned from Blackpool, where they ran a boarding house.

She married again to Ralph Hall when she was 75.

She has three daughters, Mary, Pat and Pamela, and a son, Fred