A 100-year-old woman who celebrated a century of life by partying and dancing with three generations of her family has said how she still feels “young at heart”.

Hilda Sharp was born on March 4 1917 and has lived and worked in Hendon and Cricklewood before settling in Stanmore in her later life.

She threw two parties to thank her family for their support, hosted at Jewish Care’s centre in Kenton last week.

Her family created a collage of photos and a photobook of her life alongside images recording world events spanning the past 100 years.

She was born when King George V was on the throne and was one of five children to Sarah and Benjamin Bromberg of Bloomsbury.

She attended Hendon County as a teenager before becoming a mechanical calculator for Smith’s Industries in Cricklewood.

In 1938 she met her husband Cyril at a wedding and they married in Mayfair in 1939 and rented a flat in Lewisham.

She and her family later moved to Kilburn, where they lived above a shop.

Hilda said: “Though I’ve lived a very ordinary life, I feel I’ve been very lucky.

“During an air raid I refused to go into the bomb shelter at Woolworths in New Cross High Street, and a German bomb hit the store killing 170 people.

"From that time to this I’ve considered myself a lucky person.

“I’ve had 100 years of fantastic, normal everyday life and I’m very grateful to still be here.

“My family keep me young, especially my great grandchildren and I’m enjoying it all.”

When asked the secret to her long life, she simply said “happiness”.