SHE was born in the last year of innocence in 1913, but that hasn’t stopped a Pershore centenarian from enjoying her years.

When Dorothy Costello turned 100 years old on April 2 she celebrated with her family, but the parties didn’t end there. The following day she enjoyed a gathering at the monthly Centre Club which is run by the Pershore Volunteer Centre.

The group sang Happy Birthday and even managed to accidently set off the fire alarm when they lit a fountain candle for the birthday girl.

“It’s all been too much,” said Mrs Costello. “I shall need to get over it.”

But an active life is also what the 100-year-old credits with reaching the milestone.

“The miles I had to walk to school, they wouldn’t do it today,” she said. Mrs Costello was born in 1913 – the year before the First World War broke out.

Beginning her days in Malvern, she attended the old Cowley School.

Despite the headmaster wanting her to go to the grammar school, the youngster went to work ending up at Bridgewaters shoe shop in Malvern.

Mrs Costello moved on to Slades in Worcester, cycling each day to work, before meeting her husband in 1936.

William, known as Bill, and Dorothy married that year at Alfrick Church, near Worcester, and ran the Royal Oak in Leigh Sinton, near Malvern.

They lived there for 11 years going on to have three children – Jennifer Creese, Christine Mullett and Peter Costello, who in turn had the couple’s eight grandchildren.

Mrs Mullett said: “They moved to the Knell in Knightwick, near Worcester, in 1947 and had a small agricultural engineering business. They made their own electricity from special water wheels.

“My mum was a very hard worker and very sociable. She loved to sing and even performed on the stage at Malvern Theatres.”