A NEWPORT care home celebrated the birthday of its second centenarian yesterday (Tuesday).

Iris Gatehouse, 100, was joined by friends and family at Wellwood House Extra Care scheme, in Ringland, for a party to celebrate her landmark birthday.

Mrs Gatehouse, who was born in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, has lived in Caerleon, Ridgeway Avenue and Malpas Road. She trained to be a nurse at Bristol Royal Infirmary but stopped working in 1945 to give birth to her eldest son Martin. She was married to William “Bob” Gatehouse, with whom she had a further son in 1950 – called Andrew.

Martin, who worked for the United Nations as a translator and lives in Geneva, said: “My mother and father were happily married for more than 50 years before he passed away.

“My father was a teacher and they lived in Libya for many years. He also taught disabled children at a school in Plymouth where my mother also volunteered.

“My mother has always been a charitable but independent woman. She loved ballroom dancing and while she is virtually blind, she still listens to audio books as she loved reading.”

Martin, his brother Andrew, and their wives, joined Mrs Gatehouse for a tea party at Wellwood.

Joanne Chiperva, 42, from Newport, is a support worker at Wellwood. She said: “Iris has been with us since 2007. Around 20 of our tenants, members of staff and her close family were present at her party.”

“She is still very mobile and looks great for her age.”

Wellwood’s oldest resident, Queenie Rixon, turned 104 on Tuesday, March 3.