Staff at a Birmingham hospital have made sure a stay on their Ward didn’t put a dampener on birthday celebrations for a popular patient as she turned 100.

Staff on Ward 5 at Birmingham’s Heartlands Hospital, part of the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, decided they had to mark the milestone birthday of patient Veronica Townson so arranged a celebration on the Ward, including cake, balloons, presents and a visit from her friends.

One of her neighbours in Olton, near Solihull, even arranged for Veronica’s telegram from the Queen to be delivered to make sure the occasion was marked in traditional fashion.

Her neighbour Malcolm Craig and wife Cath attended the celebration along with Veronica’s only living relative, cousin Bill Armstrong, and other friends and Malcolm spoke about the birthday girl’s secret to hitting 100.

“A gin and tonic and keep fit classes,” Malcolm said. “She did keep fit classes from the 1950s onwards and it has held her in good stead.

“We were all really keen to make sure Veronica’s birthday didn’t pass without celebration as she doesn’t have much family but is very popular with her friends. She is very strong-willed but also very sociable – she put on garden parties at her home in Olton right up until she was 90.”

Veronica was born in Smethwick in 1914. before moving to Tamworth. She moved to Canada with her RAF officer husband Tom during the Second World War before living in Edgbaston and eventually settling in Olton in 1951 and living there ever since.

Her friends said she was always in her garden, taking after her father who worked as a gardener in a number of stately homes throughout his life, including Hadzor Hall, near Droitwich.

She is currently a patient at Heartlands Hospital, although will soon be discharged to a care home, and she has become very popular with the nurses on the ward her were determined to make her big day special.

Julie Matthews, senior healthcare assistant at Heartlands, said: “We couldn’t let the big day go without marking it and we went shopping to buy balloons, bunting and cake and we didn’t tell her that her friends were coming along so it was a really nice surprise.

“She has been fantastic on the Ward and has a great sense of humour. She knows exactly what she wants and will only get up in the morning when she is ready! But everyone loves her and she has been really popular with staff and patients.”