SHE used to sing soprano in her church choir, but Edith Niblett hit a new high note when she celebrated her 106th birthday with a tea party attended by the mayor of Bournemouth yesterday.

Edith, one of the town’s oldest residents who lives at War Memorial Homes in Castle Lane West, received a birthday card from the Queen and was presented with flowers from Bournemouth’s new mayor Cllr John Adams.

Cllr Adams told her: “I just hope I look as well as you at even half your age!”

Edith said her secret to a long life is happiness, clean living and keeping busy. She has a stair lift that was fitted for her late second husband but she only uses it to transport the laundry.

“I prefer to get up the stairs under my own steam as it keeps me fit.”

She added: “My eyesight is not so good but everything else is working well. I’ve lived a happy life. What’s the good in being miserable – I don’t let things upset me.”

Edith who chose not to have children, was born eight years after Queen Victoria died. She revealed that she used to sing soprano in a church choir: “I used to love singing but I can only croak now!”

Her friend Gillian Lockie, a Bournemouth chiropodist, said: “Edith is a remarkable lady and is certainly my role model. She likes to keep busy and never turns the television on until tea time when she likes to watch her favourite quiz programme.

“She is irrefutable proof that we should all sit down less and keep climbing the stairs often.”

Edith also has two tablespoons of neat olive oil every day. She loves nuts and dried fruits and doesn’t like sweet things – she usually has tea loaf for her birthday cake.

Peter Goodson, a consultant for War Memorial Homes estate said: “Edith has lived here for about 30 years - she is very active for her age and always smiling – she is very special to us all.”