SPRIGHTLY Cecilia Richmond celebrated her 102nd birthday with a family party.

Mrs Richmond, a former hotelier, marked the occasion with the get-together at the Westhaven hospital where she is a patient.

Staff nurse Sheila Hunn said: "I can't believe Mrs Richmond is 102. She's more active than me and she's twice my age."

Mrs Richmond moved to Weymouth from London in her early 20s with her husband Jack. They went on to own the seafront Belvedere Hotel.

She said: "We had a right family business. My husband Jack did the cooking whilst I was sorting out all the guests.

"My son and daughter, Donald and Sylvia, also helped.

"Donald used to assist me with the guests whilst my daughter did the waitressing."

Later Mr and Mrs Richmond ran the Waterloo guest house at Lennox Street in Weymouth.

They lived there until they retired when Cecilia was in her early 70s.

Grace Richmond, Mrs Richmond's daughter-in-law, said: "Mrs Richmond is a wonderful women and has stayed active all her life.

"I used to see her carry people's luggage up flights of stairs in the Waterloo guest house.

"Not many people could have done that when they were 70."