A WOMAN who doesn’t drink alcohol marked her 106th birthday down the 'pub'.

Evelyn Mason, known as Evie, celebrated the milestone today (September 30) with four generations of her family at Church View Care Home, South Church, near Bishop Auckland.

The teetotaller spent time in one of the public rooms of the care home Alma’s Lounge, which was named in her honour and residents refer to as the 'pub' - as she was the landlady of the nearby Alma Hotel for 17 years.

Originally from Cleethorpes, Mrs Mason moved to Bishop Auckland during the First World War. Along with her husband, Syd Martin, she ran the Alma Hotel, in South Church Road, for 17 years.

Prior to that, the couple lived and worked as stewards at the Grosvenor Workingmen's Club.

When they retired, they moved to Coronation, near Bishop Auckland, and loved to explore the countryside, visiting pubs and assessing them on the quality of the food and beer.

After her husband's death in 1992, the great-great-grandmother lived independently in Coronation until the age of 98.

Lisa Dawson, of Church View Care Home, said: “She was full of smiles and enjoyed having four generations of her family there. It was a really good morning.”