BEATRICE Maxwell is bringing in the New Year in style by celebrating her 100th birthday.

Beatrice, a resident at Bridge House in Topping Fold Road, Bury, was joined by friends and family on Wednesday to raise a glass of champagne and toast her 100 years before enjoying a quiet family party and opening her many cards, including one from the Queen.

Born in Salford, Beatrice trained as a teacher and became head of infants at Park View Primary School in Prestwich.

She lived in Whitefield during the war but, when a German bomb destroyed her house and killed her father, she moved to Philips Park Road in Prestwich with her mother and even penned an article for the Prestwich and Whitefield Guide describing the day the bomb landed.

Following the death of her mother, Beatrice remained at Philips Park Road before moving to Elton in 1987. She remained fiercely independent until eventually moving to Bridge House two years ago. Peter Maxwell, Beatrice's nephew, said: "She definitely enjoyed herself on her birthday and had many family members joining in the celebrations as well as a more visitors throughout the day."