A great-great grandmother who turned 100 this week is renowned for enjoying “every single day of her life”, her family have said.

Eve Rudland reached the milestone on Tuesday and celebrated with a surprise lunch thrown for her by her family. Her second-youngest daughter Sue Hemsley, 65, said: “She enjoys every single day of her life.

“She tells everybody they really should make the most of life.

“She is always saying to people if anything goes wrong: ‘When one door closes, another one opens.’”

Family took Mrs Rudland for lunch at her favourite Streets Cafe in Brighton Open Market, making a surprise of it by telling her she was going to a pub instead. She also had a party on Saturday.

The family also published and sold for charity almost 60 copies of a book of poems penned by the centenarian.

Mrs Rudland started writing the poems – or “perms” as she calls them in reference to her London roots – in her 90s.

She often sends them to family and friends.

She still lives an independent life in Brighton after her husband, Reg, died 44 years ago.

Mrs Hemsley said: “Even now she looks at a photo of him every evening and says: ‘Well I am still here, mate.’”