Florrie is the oldest woman in the country

From the archive, first published Saturday 31st Mar 2007.

Florrie Baldwin, 111, from Pudsey, has been officially recognised as the oldest woman in the UK. Mrs Baldwin, who celebrated her milestone Birthday on Saturday, has lived at the Radcliffe Gardens nursing home in Pudsey for the last seven years having lived independently until the age of 105.

Judy Reyner, manager of the nursing home described Mrs Baldwin as a character. "She is a very strong-willed lady and knows her own mind," she said. "She has lived with us for the last seven years but is still very independent. She's a real character, she always says eat when you're hungry, drink when you're thirsty' she's a remarkable woman. She worked at a local textile company until she was 75, which is pretty amazing."

Officials from the Guinness Book of Records visited Mrs Baldwin on Saturday to present her with her certificate declaring her officially the oldest woman in the UK. The Lord mayor of Leeds was also in attendance. But Florrie Baldwin was unlikely to have been fazed by the attention, according to Judy Reymen. "If she's had enough she'll just get up and go, there'll be no stopping her," she laughed.