An active great grandmother who is never one to shy away from hard work toasted her 100th birthday this week.

Flora Pitrakou celebrated her special day with friends and family at Anastasia Lodge care home in Arundel Gardens, Winchmore Hill, on Monday.

The 100-year-old married her husband Philonas in Cyprus in 1929.

The couple were not well-off, and she helped support her young family by packing oranges picked from the fields.

In 1961, the couple and their son and two daughters immigrated to Stoke Newington where she helped make shoes in her nephew’s factory until she retired in her 60s.

Mr Pitrakou died 30 years ago, and her daughters are now 80 and 83.

Her 76-year-old son Panayiotis Philonas said his mother’s long life could well be down to her healthy lifestyle.

Mr Philonas, who lives in Enfield Highway, said: “She worked very hard all her life and she was very active.

“She didn’t smoke, she didn’t drink and she didn’t eat too much meat, because in Cyprus they couldn’t afford it. She used to eat lots of vegetables.”

As well as having daughters aged 80 and 83, the centenarian – whose birthday fell on Sunday – has 12 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

Care home manager Norma Dimaiwat, said Mrs Pitrakou is “very independent” and prefers to do many of her daily tasks without the help of staff

Enfield Independant