A BRASS band helped Annie Armstrong celebrate her 100th birthday.

Mrs Armstrong marked her centenary with a party at The Bell House Home in Wilshaw, near Meltham.

She and her family were entertained by Vintage Brass and Meltham Parish Church Gilbert and Sullivan Society.

Vintage Brass is a group of veteran brass musicians set up by Mrs Armstrong's father and Mrs Armstrong founded the Gilbert and Sullivan group.

She was born in Meltham to Henry Moorhouse, a stonemason who helped build Honley Grammar School, and Mary Anne Moorhouse.

She left school at 11 to work in textile mills. But she eventually gave up work to raise a family with husband Arthur, who she married in 1931.

They had two children, Denis, 70, who lives in Wilshaw, and John, 64, who lives in Cardiff.

When the children had grown up Mrs Armstrong went back to work part-time in the mills.

She also rejoined Meltham Parish Church Choir, which she had sung with as a young girl.

Her love of amateur dramatics and operettas led her to set up the church's Gilbert and Sullivan Society.

She sang with the society many times. Her last part was that of Katisha in The Mikado in 1961.

Mr Armstrong, who had been a caretaker at Meltham Primary School, died in 1990.

Nine years later Mrs Armstrong - who had always lived in Meltham - moved to Moorland Lodge home in Netherton. Last April she moved to The Bell House.

She has four grandchildren, Paul, Dawn, Kate and Richard. She

also has three great-grandchildren.