Centenarian Maisie takes walk into past

Centenarian Maisie Wills finds plenty of food for thought in the tea room of an historic house in Wolverhampton.

For the 100-year-old grew up in the building that now houses the restaurant at Wightwick Manor and lived there for around 30 years before spending the rest of her life in a council house. "Some people can see the future in the leaves at the bottom of their cup but all I find are reminders of the past," she confessed. "It was a lovely place to grow up."

Remarkably the great-grandmother has never been in hospital, never had a car nor washing machine and still has no fridge because she reckons her pantry does the job just as well. She is president of Tettenhall and Wightwick Conservative Association, runs several local organisations and walks around Wolverhampton's markets without a stick twice a week.

Messages from David Cameron and William Hague were among the 97 cards and letters that accompanied the traditional congratulations from the Queen when she reached her milestone century earlier this month. Mrs Wills, who lives in the Wolverhampton area, declared: "I still feel like I am 30". And she continues to act like it.

Her family moved to the area when she was very young and from the age of seven, Mrs Wills lived in the five-bedroom 400-year-old former farmhouse in the grounds of the stately home where her father Harry Woodhouse was head gardener. The entrance hall and lounge are now the tea room, while the sitting room is an office and the kitchen has become the shop at the National Trust-run manor.

When she lived there, the property was owned by renowned industrialists the Mander family. "I had a very happy childhood with my younger brothers Charlie and Gerald and never wanted to leave," Mrs Wills recalled during a walk down memory lane through the grounds yesterday. "I stayed until I was over 30. The Mander family were very kind but it was still 'them' and 'us.'

A widow for 28 years, she says: "I believe in having three meals a day, only drink occasionally and do not smoke. I went on holiday regularly until I was 97, I enjoy doing the garden and walk as much as possible. I like to go to Wolverhampton market on the bus twice a week to get my veg. My motto is: Don't give up. Just keep pushing."