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Dancing Queen Gladys turns 108 on Christmas Day

BBC Gladys Banks, dressed in a red puffer coat with a red tartan blanket over her knees, sat in an armchair in her front garden. There is a table next to her with a huge birthday cake with four lit candles. Gladys is holding a champagne flute in one hand and smiling and waving. Out of shot is a large crowd of people stood in the street, wishing her a happy birthdayBBC
At 108, Gladys Banks is the long-reigning Dancing Queen of Borough Green

A village community in Kent came together to celebrate a special person born on Christmas Day.

Gladys Banks - dubbed the Queen of Borough Green - turns 108 today, and enjoyed a street party held in her honour.

The whole community gathered in the street outside Gladys' front garden for an early bash on 30 November during their Christmas lights switch on and treated her to a birthday cake, champagne and music, while the large crowd sang Happy Birthday.

Abba fan Gladys, who danced in her chair holding a glass of fizz, said: "The people here in Borough Green are so good to me. I'm the Queen of Borough Green, you know, so I practise my wave!"

a crowd of people, dressed in winter coats, some wearing Christmas hats, some raising champagne flutes, stand outside singing Happy Birthday to Gladys Banks. A white building with a lit Costa sign is in the background and the sky is dark
The whole community has thrown Gladys a birthday party every year since she became a centenarian

The community has thrown her a party every year since she turned 100.

"I know there's lots of old ladies that probably don't see anybody from one week to another," said great-grandmother Gladys, who was born in 1916 in the middle of World War One.

"I'm very lucky here."

a still of video footage of Gladys wearing black trousers and a white blouse with black piping at the edges, holding a walking stick in one hand and dancing with a tattooed man at her 100th birthday party. A man wearing a white shirt and black tank top jumper plays guitar and sings behind them
Gladys still loves dancing

Becky Holdstock, who organises the parties for Gladys, said: "I just adore her. You can still talk to her like a friend, she's got everything that you'd possibly ever want at 108.

"She's the most loveliest lady I've ever met in my life. She still goes out - she does more than me."

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