Less stress and more smiles are the secret to a long life, according to Myrtle Burrows, who celebrated her 100th birthday yesterday.

Ms Burrows said that she kept herself healthy through a balanced diet, staying active and doing the things that made her happy.

However, despite her carefree lifestyle, the centenarian admitted that she had not expected to live for this long.

She said: “I didn’t know the good Lord was going to let me see 100, but here I am.”

She added: “I just eat healthy foods and I walk up and down my steps for my exercise.

“And I try to keep away from stress and just keep smiling.”

Ms Burrows, known as “Aunt Myrtle” by her family, was speaking during her 100th birthday party yesterday.

The senior met her children, grandchildren and a host of nieces and nephews to celebrate at her waterside home in Pembroke.

She was even paid a visit by David Burt, the Premier, who gave her a card and a bouquet of flowers.

Ms Burrows said: “It was very wonderful to have him here. I enjoyed speaking with him and taking pictures with him and spending a part of my day with him.”

She said that a lot of her health came from staying out of trouble throughout much of her life.

She explained that in her 72 years of driving she had never received a ticket or was involved in an accident.

Ms Burrows added: “I still go for drives as long as I have to go out.

“I pick up my senior citizens, who are younger than I am, and I take them to wherever they want to go.”

She added: “We go from Somerset to St George’s and head to the senior citizens’ meetings at the First Church of God.”

Ms Burrows’s son, Allister Simmons, said that his mother showed a lot of pride in her ability to provide for her loved ones.

The 71-year-old said: “My mother’s the driver for her friends and many times, if there’s a function going on, she may be outside on her driveway cleaning her car, washing her tyres and just making sure it’s perfect.”

Mr Simmons, from St George’s, added that her generous nature was well known throughout her extensive family.

He explained: “Mom has put everybody else first and I can see along the way as I’ve been growing up that she’s been the caregiver and the caretaker for this entire family, and our family’s a very, very large family.

“She has been the one that has been there for everyone.”