THERE were celebrations all round in Warrington last week as a Howley great-grandmother marked her 100th birthday.

Alice Deakin, of Hall Street, was born on August 19, 1903 and friends at the Blind Centre on Museum Street threw a party in her honour last Tuesday afternoon to celebrate her century.

The 100-year-old was registered partially-sighted eight years ago and has been a member of the Blind Society, based in the town centre, ever since.

Alice, who now shares her birthday with celebrities like former American president Bill Clinton, Friends actor Matthew Perry and pop star Darius Danesh, married husband William, at the age of 23, at St James's Church in Latchford in 1926 and the couple had two sons, Cyril and the late Ronald, eight grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren with another on the way!

After leaving school at 14, Alice's first job was selling magazines and newspapers from a basket at Central Station and she also worked in the munitions factory in Warrington during the war.

The great-grandmother is a keen knitter and enjoys making baskets at her twice-weekly visits to the Blind Centre as well as chatting to friends and staff and she also attends a luncheon club at Anchor Court

Alice was joined by her son Cyril, who is 72, and other members of her family for the party at the centre and all the guests were entertained by Stan and Jim from the George Formby Society.

Ron Davies, general secretary at the Blind Centre, said: "Quite a few members of Alice's family joined in the celebrations along with her friends at the centre and it was a real party atmosphere.

"Alice thoroughly enjoyed herself and she even had a visit from Warrington Mayor Clr Pauline Nelson and her consort David Spencer."