AN AMAZING life that took teenage Emily Candy from Canada to a new start in Slough was celebrated on Friday with 100 balloons - one for every year of her life.

Emily Candy has lived at Lent Rise House care home in Coulson Way, Burnham since 2017.

The team there decorated the lounge with 100 balloons, while a lavish flower arrangement had been arranged to create the number 100 - all under the supervision of activity co-ordinator Michelle Dean.

Mrs Candy was born in Nova Scotia but returned to England with her widowed mother - arriving at Liverpool Docks on the day of George VI and Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1937.

She had left behind her childhood sweetheart.

But during a long full life in Slough she met William Candy. They married at St Mary's Church, Farnham Royal and had a daughter Pamela who was sadly born with a mental handicap.

Mrs Candy looked after her while working at various factories on the Slough trading estate.

She became close friends with a woman called Mrs Soden whose daughter was also mentally handicapped and went to the same specialist school as Pamela in Oatlands Drive.

Mrs Soden's son Len was a welcome guest at Friday's party - cementing a 70 year friendship that began when he was eight.

Mrs Candy was a great supporter of the charity Mencap over a 50 year period. After losing her husband in 1986 she kept her sparkle, taking computer courses and attending tea dances which she loved.

Friends joined her at the party singing along to classic songs, as they admired the numerous birthday cards.

The care home's activity co-ordinator Michelle Dean said: "Mrs Candy is an amazing lady and we were delighted to make her 100th birthday as special as we could."