A GRANDMOTHER-of-four who got married during wartime has celebrated becoming a centenarian.

Annie Farnworth celebrated with friends and family, some of whom had travelled from as far as Australia, Peru, France, London and Edinburgh to mark the landmark day she turned 100.

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Mrs Farnworth enjoyed a special buffet and birthday cake at her sheltered accommodation home in Blackburn and a luncheon at The New Drop restaurant in Ribchester.

The former Blakey Moor Central School pupil left at 14 to work at Malvern Mill, despite her protests that she would have preferred a sewing factory.

After that she went to Grange Mill, Witton, until she was nearly 20 when little sister Joyce was born.

She became a member of St John’s Ambulance Brigade and worked at Woolworths from 1936 to 1939.

Annie met husband Jim, also a member of St John’s Ambulance Brigade when she was 20.

The pair enjoyed long cycle rides all around Lancashire on a tandem bicycle.

Later Annie took a job at the Royal Ordinance Factory at Lower Darwen.

Jim was sent away to war and the couple married when he was on leave in January 1942 and went to live in Little Harwood.

Annie had two sons, Jim and Michael, and the family moved to a new bungalow in the Ramsgreave area.

Jim and Annie lived happily together until his death in 1995.

Later, Annie ran a hardware shop on Whalley New Road until she retired, and after that worked part time in the post office selling stationery and cards.

Annie received an impressive 85 cards to m,ark her centenary, including one from the Queen.

Granddaughter Katie Farnworth said: “She’s always got a smile on her face and is always up for a laugh.

“It’s interesting to hear her speak about what things used to be like and her connection to all different areas.

“She still gets out and about and tends to go to town shopping once or twice a week.”

She enjoyed the two-day celebrations and ‘was still going strong at the end of it’, joked Katie.