A BIRTHDAY with a difference went ahead at the weekend, as celebrations got underway to mark the 100th birthday of a car.

June Firkins hosted the event at her Hanley Swan home, in which around 45 people attended, to celebrate the landmark milestone reached by her 1914 Darracq Tourer.

Mrs Firkins said: "We had family down on Saturday anyway, so thought we may as well put on the birthday celebrations while everyone's down here already.

"Everyone had a good time, the weather was fantastic but we didn't take the car out for a spin as there were too many people wanting to have a ride.

"The car's done really well, and we are really proud of it. It takes pride of place in the garage. We don't know the exact date is made, but it says in the instruction manual it was built in August 1914."

Her husband, Gerald, acquired the car in 1949, after being informed that the car was in London and was available for a new home.

The garage the car was occupying had been hit by a bomb in The Second World War, and the car remained buried underneath the debris.

After getting down there to collect the car, it took Gerald and his father three days to get it out from the rubble.

Amazingly, the car remained in good condition.