Elizabeth Taylor may be a world class diva with a penchant for glamorous living and multiple marriages, but she has not forgotten her roots.

The actress, who was approached earlier this year by the Hampstead Garden Suburb Residents' Association (HGSRA) to be a patron of its centenary celebrations in 2007, replied saying she has fond memories of the area, where she lived as a child with her parents and older brother, Howard.

The star lived at 8 Wildwood Road, and agreed to loan her name to the centenary project.

She said: "The happiest days of my youth were when my brother and I would run through the woods and feel quite safe. I wonder if it's still like that now, I do hope so? It was heaven."

Chairman of the HGSRA, David B Lewis, said the association has a long list of patrons, which includes advertising mogul Sir Martin Sorrell, TV presenter Jonathan Ross, and former reporter and MP Martin Bell.