A LIPHOOK woman celebrated her 100th birthday on Christmas Day.

Daphne Balfour (nee Springett) was born on Christmas Day 1921 in Streatham, London.

Her father was a military musician, and she was one of four siblings, three of whom were boys.

After the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 Daphne joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), soon after it was formed.

On enlisting, she completed her basic training and was then trained as a driver.

Completing this successfully, she drove ambulances for the Royal Air Force during the war and helped to maintain its vehicles.

It was during this time that her love of vehicles, in particular cars, was born.

She remained a car enthusiast for the rest of her life, and only reluctantly gave up driving at the age of 96.

She married David in 1947 and they went on to have three daughters.

Daughter Heather now lives in Canada, Janice in Iceland, and Rowena in Liphook.

Daphne continued to work for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) after the war.

At first she was at an army base in Stirling in central Scotland.

She then transferred to a large military storage and distribution centre just outside Bicester in north-east Oxfordshire.

After she retired, Daphne moved to Liphook in 2011 to be closer to her family.

For the past 18 months Daphne has resided comfortably and very happily in Greenbanks Care Home.

It was in the care home off London Road in Liphook that she celebrated a truly special 100th birthday.