A former tailor has celebrated her 100th birthday being serenaded by the hits of some of her favourite singers.
Sarah Gibson celebrated a century with a singer performing numbers by Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra and a card from King Charles and Queen Camilla at Rosewood Care Home in Bensham. She was surrounded by members of her family who live close by.
Sarah is the first Rosewood resident to turn 100 since King Charles' coronation and is therefore the first to receive a letter from him on her birthday. Chloe Hickford, senior activity co-ordinator at the care home, said: "It was really humorous when she got the letter from the King, she turned on the posh accent and started thanking all of her friends for coming to the party.
Read more: Five generations come together to celebrate great-great grandmother's 100th birthday in Gateshead
"Honestly, you would have thought she was the Queen the way she was talking, really posh and well-mannered. She's well-spoken anyway, but she put a different accent on to thank everybody.
"Despite her age and her memory loss, she recognised the significance of it and was really thrilled to have a letter from the King. It's a monumental thing turning 100 and she's the first resident to receive a letter from King Charles, though we have had a couple of residents turn 100 or go beyond and get a letter from Queen Elizabeth previously."
Chloe described Sarah as very family oriented and said that she "literally lights up" every time she sees her family. She has two children, Valerie and John, both of whom dropped in on her special day, as well as four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
She has lived in Gateshead all of her life and married her husband Jack in 1949. They lived in Sherriff Hill and Sarah worked as a tailor for Jackson the Tailor on Clayton Street in Newcastle city centre.
Sarah's daughter Valerie Hall said: "I think I'm very lucky (to see my mum turn 100) and she's had a lovely day, that's the important thing. She's amazing for her age, she is.
"We had a singer here this morning, it was a lovely morning for her, and her son John came with his wife this afternoon. A couple of her grandchildren have been in to see her too - we've had a glass of sherry with her!"
Despite turning 100 on Wednesday, the big party is still a few days away. On Saturday, Sarah's entire family will visit the care home for her big birthday bash, with a nephew coming from Stafford and a grandson and his family coming from Hertfordshire, along with the family members who visited her on Wednesday.
Val finished: "We're all lucky that we've got her and I hope she has a lovely party on Saturday. It'll be lovely to see everybody with her."
