Villagers turn out in force to celebrate Wigan pensioner's 100th birthday

Jean McNamara reached the milestone on Wednesday and received her long-awaited letter from the Queen.

People living close to her in Up Holland wanted to make sure she celebrated the momentous occasion, even during the lockdown.

Friend Gavin Ramejkis, who has lived next-door to Jean for 16 years, appealed online for people to join him to mark her birthday.

He said: “I thought it would be really nice for the village if everyone joined us to celebrate. We planned to sing Happy Birthday outside, even if no-one turned up.

“I was amazed at the response. I got lots of responses from people up and down the street and the side streets.”

Around 70 people gathered on Dingle Road on Wednesday evening to sing Happy Birthday for Jean, including children carrying a banner they had made in her honour.

A cake, cards and gifts were placed on a table outside her home, to maintain social distancing.

Gavin said: “Jean was gobsmacked. She thought it was fabulous. She didn’t realise so many would come out.”

It was a full day of celebrations, with visitors including three police officers from Lancashire Constabulary, who arrived with a card and flowers.

Jean’s 100th birthday was certainly occasion that she and her neighbours will remember for some time.

The centenarian was born in 1920 on City Road in Kitt Green, where she lived with her family.

She married Joe in 1942 just before he went to serve in the Second World War, while she stayed in Wigan with her mother.

When he returned, Jean and Joe moved into their own home in Kitt Green, but he was an animal lover and had nowhere to keep his horses, so they moved around before settling on Parliament Street in Up Holland.

Joe built stables for his horses and the couple had a milk round for a few years, making them well-known faces in the village.

Jean did a variety of jobs, including working as a dinner lady in local schools.

Sadly, Joe died around 30 years ago and Jean moved to Dingle Road, where she has lived ever since.

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