A GREAT-GREAT-GRANDMOTHER has marked her 100th birthday with a party, three cakes - and a surprise male stripper 80 years her junior.

Rosina Grant, of The Heights, Theydon Bois, celebrated her centenary on October 12 surrounded by more than 60 family and friends.

Mrs Grant, known as Rose, was born in Mile End and met future husband Albert in West Ham Park in 1931.

"I went out to the park with a friend and five boys came up to us. From that day on we kept together and five years later we were married," she said.

The couple moved to Theydon Bois more than 70 years ago to escape war-torn London and went on to raise two sons, Brian and Raymond.

Mrs Grant worked all her life as a cleaner and spent 18 years as dinner lady at Loughton County High School for Girls.

"I left school at 3.45 and I got a job at 4pm. When I got married I had to leave work - I was only married about a fortnight and then I managed to get another job.

"I've been very lucky. I've had lovely people to work for."

Mrs Grant was a keen swimmer, dancer and cyclist - but said she has now swapped two wheels for four, in the shape of her walking frame.

She has been a committed member of Theydon Bois Baptist Church since Mr Grant passed away in 1972 and spends much of her time on a bench on the village green, chatting to passers by.

"I'm a very, very sociable person. When I had a bike I used to go around and try to get people to come to the baptist church," she said.

"I still sit on the bench and just watch people go by. It's lovely."

She said she has received congratulatory messages from many of the villagers.

"Everybody keeps saying 'you don't look 100, you only look about 70'," she said.

"I have still got my marbles."

Mrs Grant now has five grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild, many of whom were guests at her birthday party.

Son Brian, 71, of The Gables, Abbess Roding, said: "We had a party at the local village hall and we invited quite a number of people from Theydon Bois.

"We had a male stripper. I think she enjoyed it - although I think she was a bit embarrassed at first. She's quite a laugh at times."

Mrs Grant added: "Elvis, they called him. He was only about 20. It was absolutely thrilling.

"People said they'd never been to a party like it."

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