A whizz with numbers and a knitting needle is celebrating her 100th birthday.

Great-great-grandmother Irene Taylor lives at Aspen Grange Care Home, in Braintree, and will mark her milestone birthday on Saturday.

She was born in 1918 in Lambeth, London, before moving to Somerset to escape bombing during the Second World War.

She married husband George just after the war and the couple moved to Colchester. The couple were married until Mr Taylor’s death in 1990.

They went on to have daughter Valerie, who died in 2008.

Mrs Taylor later moved to Halstead to live with her sister, before moving to Braintree where she has lived for more than 20 years.

The family woman has five grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Heidi Mills, Mrs Taylor’s granddaughter, said: “She used to work in a magistrates’ court in the financial side of things.

Her maths was excellent, I remember that.

“She loved knitting and I remember growing up she used to knit jumpers for all of the grandchildren.

“We went on a lot of caravan holidays as a family as well.

“She was a very social person. She has always been a family person. I go and see her as much as I can.”

Staff at Aspen Grange Care Home and Mrs Taylor’s family will be holding a celebration on Saturday.

Mrs Mills said: “I will be visiting her on her birthday with my son Tyler, who turns ten on the same day she turns 100.

“I think she will be very excited for her telegram from the Queen and I can’t wait to see it as well.”