A centenarian believes that living a happy life with a lot of love has helped her reach her 100th Birthday.

Christina 'Chrissy' Hartnell, nee Young, was born on 17 January in Hazelrigg, a village North of Newcastle, to Parents George Young and Christina Young.

Christina sadly lost her mother when she was 12 days old but when her dad did remarry afterwards Christina never felt unloved as her new mam 'smothered in love'.

Christina had two siblings, a brother, who died at 90 years old and a sister, who she still keeps in contact with.

Christina went to Hazelrigg school but did not follow through to going to university and instead landed her self at a job at REME, which was a tank repair workshop.

From then she has countless job including being a manager at Tynedale Bakery, Hazelrigg shop, then the Dudley shop then worked at health centre in Ponteland as a cleaner before she retired.

Although Chrissy worked a lot, she always had time to have fun and loved to dance.

Her fondest memory of dancing is when she met her husband Roy.

She said : "I met Roy who at a dance, where he played in the band.

"After our first date he said he would like to marry her, she asked if she could think about it.

"I then said to him that he would have to learn Geordie as my Mother would never understand him, as he was from Cornwall."

The pair become inseparable after meeting and Christina married him. Together they had a son called Keith and Christina and Roy went on to spend 70 years of marriage before he died.

Christina still lives in her marital home in Ponteland and has regular visits from Keith whom lives nearby.

Christina is known by family and friends for her love of live and having fun. She has always had one passion, which was dance and she did not stop dancing until she was 84 years old. She had a lot of favourite dances and loved to foxtrot, waltz scottish dancing.

When asked about how she felt turning 100 and getting a card from the Queen she said: "I feels very very very lucky to get to 100 and I was over the moon with the card I got."

"Im not sure what the secret is to reach 100 years old but I think having a very happy life and a lot of love very much helps."

On her birthday, Chrissy did not want a big fuss, so friends and family popped in to wish her well.

She said: "I had a lovely time with friends and family when they popped in. I didn't want a fuss by having a party but I enjoyed a baileys in the afternoon with 7 ice cubes. It always has to be 7.

"I then went to her favourite Indian restaurant in the village with her family."

Continuing the celebrations, Chrissy has a new Great Great Granddaughter called Ivy.