GOOD home cooking, lots of love and affection and plenty of independence is the secret to keeping everyone happy and healthy at Barn Park Residential Home at Halwill which has three centenarians among its residents.

As Nora Ashlin celebrated her 105th birthday last weekend with a party she said: 'They look after me very well here' and Mary Wagstaff and Bessi Perkin, both 100, can vouch for that.

Nora, who originates from Newcastle, came to live at Barn Park 10 years ago and has a daughter living nearby.

In her youth she took a degree in speech and taught in girls' clubs and adult education groups and did a lot of amateur acting.

She was tempted to go into the profession after encouragement by her peers, who had seen her performing the lead in Twelfth Night during Newcastle's Shakespeare Week, but instead she trained at night class to become a Christian scientist while raising a family.

Nora said she was not the sort of person to watch or worry about age: 'It makes no difference as long as everything is OK,' she said.

'I have always been a busy person but have had to slow down a bit in recent years.'

Representatives from the WI and Over 60s clubs, of which Nora was a member, attended her birthday celebration and the day was made even more special when she received a telegram from the Queen.

Staff at Barn Park described Nora as a lady with a good sense of humour and a good conversationalist who had a healthy interest in life and people.

Assistant matron Mary Moores said it was wonderful to have three centenarians living at the home: 'We give them good home cooking, lots of love and affection and try to make their time here as normal as living at home.

'They have the opportunity to do pretty much what they want to as long as they are safe and that makes for happy residents.'