A CENTENARIAN with a passion for dancing celebrated her milestone birthday yesterday.

Mollie Strathern, who only gave up dancing when she was 95, turned 100 at Willow Green Care Home, in Darlington.

She celebrated her birthday with friends and family, including her three daughters, Maria, Kathleen and Barbara.

A singer visited the care home to help Mrs Strathern enjoy her day. She also received a letter from the Queen, and said: "I'm so appreciative of everything."

Mrs Strathern began to teach ballroom and tap dancing to her friends in North Park when she was 15, when her aunt, Mary Franks, who was also a dance teacher, left her Darlington dance school to work in London.

Mrs Strathern opened her first class in the concert hall above the Rise Carr Working Men's club, in Eldon Place, Darlington.

There, she taught ballet, tap and Scottish dancing.

Mrs Strathern taught her late husband, Gordon, to dance and they went ballroom dancing at least five times a week.

She has raised a large amount of money for St Thomas Aquinas Church.