Burnley great grandmother born when Charlie Chaplin was star of the silver screen celebrates her 101st birthday

Described as the 'Queen' of her closeknit family, the question May Hawke asked on her landmark birthday was 'Who lives until they are 101?'

Born in the Cog Lane area David Lloyd George was the Prime Minister and the pop up toaster had just been invented when May was born in 1919. Film stars of the day were the legendary Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford.

May attended the former Wood Top School with her three sisters, Madge, Joan and Minnie and her brother Keith.

She worked in the weaving sheds but didn't like it so she went to work at Lambert Howarth shoe factory which was sited at Finsley Gate in Burnley.

Tragically May's husband Richard died in 1966 when he was just 48, leaving her to bring up their four children, Jacqueline, now 74, Thomas (71) Alan, who is 69 and 68-year-old Anne, on her own.

Alan said: "She has always been a very caring and joyful person and she has a great sense of humour.

"This year has been tough for her with Covid-19 but she has kept going."

When her eight grandchilden came along, May was a real 'hands on' grandmother, helping to look after them while their parents went to work.

Alan's wife Carol said: "She would not only look after the children, she did all the housework and ironing too. She would stay over and even bring us a cup of tea in bed the next morning.

"She has always been the backbone of the family and so generous of her time with us all.

"We are a close, loving family and I think is the key to May's long life."

And all May's relatives love listening to the many stories she tells of her life including the incident at the pictures when her best friend, Ivy, almost burned the building down when her cigarette set fire to the veil on her hat.

In another amusing incident May, who smoked until she was 60, recalls the time she was walking though heavy snow with Madge and Ivy and Madge was stopped in her tracks by someone grabbing her legs from underneath.

Carol said: "May and Ivy ran off and went to a house to tell them what had happened. When they returned they discovered it was the 'knocker upper' who couldn't find his way in the snow so he just grabbed hold of the first thing he could and that was Madge"'

A great grandmother to 11, May has always had a great sense of adventure and in her 70s and 80s she visited America when Thomas lived there. She even rode Space Mountain at Disneyland. She also visited the South of France three times.

After her retirement May worked at the Salvation Army shop in Burnley's Harold Street and, at a big party for her 100th birthday last year, a collection raised £400 for the charity.

Still living in her own home, May's family take it in turns to visit her daily with meals and anything else she needs.

Covid-19 may have put the stoppers on a big family party this year but a stream of vistors have wished her well through her window.