AN Edgware great-grandmother celebrated reaching her centenary in style last weekend, surrounded by around 70 of her closest friends and family.

Ruth Goldstone reached the milestone of 100-years on Sunday, June 14, and a telegram from the Queen now has pride of place on her living room wall.

Mrs Goldstone emigrated from Germany in the 1930s to marry her English husband, Salo, and she has lived in their marital home in Cornbury Road for the last 75 years.

She said her birthday party was “very nice” and attributed her longevity to her work ethic.

“Hard work keeps you busy,” she said. “I've done all sorts of jobs. Secretarial work, shop work – I did everything.

“I taught music as well. Keep yourself busy; that's the secret.”

She said the area has changed “quite a bit” over the years.

“Not this street, but Edgware has changed quite a bit,” she said. “The people opposite have lived here as long as I have – we've grown old together.

“But in Edgware there's new buildings and the shops have changed.”

Mrs Goldstone met Salo on a trip to England - “I can't remember exactly when, the memory is the first thing to go” - and later returned to marry him.

Mr Goldstone, an optician, died about 30 years ago.

“He was a very good looking man,” said Mrs Goldstone with a twinkle in her eye. “And he was a very nice man too.

“We had our ups and downs, but we were happy.”

Mrs Goldstone has stopped teaching and playing music now, but a pristine grand piano still stands in her front room.