A pint of Guinness or two has proved to be the perfect tonic for a Norfolk care home resident who celebrated his 100th birthday yesterday.

Jim Baines, a resident at St Mary's care home in New Buckenham, extolled the virtues of the Irish dry stout to his son James, as well as the importance of waking with a smile as being the reasons for his longevity.

He celebrated his 100th birthday with a party at the care home where he was joined by neighbours and relatives.

James said: 'Up until a few years ago he would have said a pint of Guinness or two and waking up with a smile on your face and being happy.'

His father was born in Preston on March 21, 1913 to his father William, a spinning master at a number of local mills and mother Annie, who was a housewife.

He had a number of jobs before working in the aircraft industry, which took him abroad to Canada and occasional periods in France.

He finished working as a pre-flight aircraft inspector on new aircraft at BAC Samelsbury prior to his retirement.

On August 12, 1939, he married his wife Margaret and the couple had two children- James, 70 and Anne, who died at a very early age- as well as two grandchildren, James, 23 and Jonathon, 21.

Following his reirement, he lived with Margaret at Walton-Le-Dale until she died in March 2005 when he moved to New Buckenham to live with his son before moving into the care home in July 2011.

James added his father's passions included fast cars and motorbikes, which he would pick up for scrap value then rebuild them. He was also renowned as the person most people would turn to if anything needed repairing.