BOROUGH mayor Cllr Bill Cook was eclipsed only by the star of the show, when he delivered a royal message of congratulation from the King to a borough woman celebrating her hundredth birthday.

Florrie Coughlan, was born in the East End of London in the same year as the late Queen Elizabeth and she later followed the royal example by also marrying a naval man, Jim, again in the same year the Queen and Prince Philip married.

She worked for many years as a tailor, before going into the care sector. Jim worked as a senior lecturer at Thurrock Tech College. On the couple's retirement she and Jim moved to Kent from their home in Hornchurch.

Following Jim's death in she moved to Thurrock to be closer to her daughter Tina Macklin and other family members. She has made many friends here and has a new lease of life, that now stretches into a second century.

Tina told Nub News: "We had a wonderful day celebrating mum's birthday with her friends at the Bingo Club at St Thomas of Canterbury Church Hall in Grays.

"The icing on the cake was the arrival of the Mayor with a card form the King. Cllr Cook is a lovely man and mum was really thrilled he attended. I'd like to thank him and everyone else who made it such a special day."