ByKatie Taylor, Katie Taylor
1 min read
Frances Woolf has laid claim to being Britain's oldest Jew after celebrating her 107th birthday with a party at Wembley Sephardi home Edinburgh House.
Among the greetings were messages from the Queen and Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith. The birthday girl said the party had been "the best day of my life".
Asked for the secret of her longevity, Ms Woolf replied: "I wish I knew."
Raised in north Kensington, the former head teacher moved to Wembley following the war. After retiring in 1966, she remained active in organisations such as the League of Jewish Women, a friendship club and Jacs, where she won a national quiz contested by 1,000 people at the age of 86.
She moved to Edinburgh House just under a year ago after being diagnosed with pneumonia.
An Edinburgh House staff member said Ms Woolf "has the most delightful and lively personality and is extremely popular.
"She enjoys doing the crossword, Scrabble, solitaire and loves to talk. She tells stories of life in the war and about her headmistress days.
"Although she has poor eyesight, she has a nurse who helps her to read the clues of her crosswords."