A "feisty yet friendly" grandmother says she looks as good as she does on her 100th birthday thanks to "sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll".

Joan Cotterill, who lives at Blair Park Care Home in Milton Regis near Sittingbourne, is marking her milestone age today surrounded by her friends, family and more than 100 cards.

The mum-of-two originally came from Warrington in Cheshire and has spent most of her life travelling around the world.

She was one of six children and her globe-trotting lifestyle even saw her give birth to one of her sons, Stephen, in Hong Kong.

Speaking about his mum, the 70-year-old from Newington said: "We asked her how she looks so good at 100 and she came back with 'sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll'.

"She's been a brilliant mum, she's always been very active.

"About eight years ago she paved the whole of her back garden by herself.

"It was about 80 yards long and she did it because she was fed up of cutting the grass."

Joan is also mum to Stephen's older brother, Mike, a 75-year-old who lives in London.

Stephen added: "She broke a bone in her back about two years ago and it's really restricted her movement and that is why she is now in a care home.

"But mum has had quite a varied life."

During the Second World War, Joan was part of the Auxiliary Territorial Service, ATS, a women's branch of the British Army.

After the war she married a military man and the couple travelled much of the world living abroad before they later divorced.

Joan's daughter-in-law, Sylvana, said: "Joan lived abroad for a lot of her life.

"She lived in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaya and Germany before moving back to the UK six months after Stephen was born."

Joan is a nan to her two grandsons, Tom, a journalist for the Daily Mail, and Jamie, a stage set designer.

Reminiscing about past family holidays, Stephen said: "We used to have the house in France, about 10-15 years ago, and we've taken her out there several times.

"She used to like, believe it or not, to chop up wood for the fireplace all day.

"One day when we were there she spent literally all day chopping wood.

"There was a nice big pile of it and she absolutely couldn't believe it that by the next morning that wood had all been burnt in the fire.

"It was a huge fireplace and she just couldn't believe that all that was gone. So she was back out there being our own personal wood chopper which was absolutely brilliant."

Sylvana and Stephen explained that Joan loves a laugh and isn't shy of showing her opinions.

They said: "If we had to describe her we'd say she's forthright, friendly and feisty."

Giving one last birthday wish Stephen said: "Happy birthday, mum. You've been a wonderful mother. Thanks for all the good times."

Joan's care home put out an appeal on Facebook to get 100 cards sent to her for the grandmother's special day.

The home's activities organiser, Donna Harman, said: "We've well exceeded 100 birthday cards now.

"I made a special post box for them and we even received one from the King at Buckingham Palace.

"I'm so happy for her, she is going to be over the moon. Joan is a wonderful lady."