A GREAT-grandmother celebrated her 100th birthday by meeting both of her great-grandchildren for the first time.

Relatives from Berkshire and Hampshire travelled to Rossendale to join great-grandmother Joan Goodman as she celebrated her special day at Holme Manor Care Home in Townsendfold, Rawtenstall, at the weekend.

On the day, there were four generations present: Joan, daughter Karen and her husband Martin Coles, her sons Adrian Percival and his wife Agata and their son Leo, two, and Henry Percival and his fiancée Marzia Del Grosso along with their son five-month-old Noah.

In the home’s specially constructed Covid pod, which was decorated with birthday balloons, lots of flowers and a large cake, Joan met and chatted to her relatives and she was introduced to the newest members of the family, Leo and Noah.

Later, they all enjoyed a buffet at the home. Joan said: “I have had a very nice birthday.”

Karen, from Berkshire, said: “My mum was born in Waterfoot and had a brother and my family have lived in Rossendale since 1670.

“Her father ran Vale Shoe Company and in the war my mum was an aeronautical engineer and worked on planes.”

She met Peter, from London, who was a bomb aimer on the Lancasters and after the war they married and had a daughter, Karen.

Karen added: “When I was born, my mum didn’t work after that. My father died 11 years ago and my mum lived on her own until she was 96.”

Proprietor of Holme Manor, Ryan Godwin, said: “Everyone at Holme Manor is more than delighted to congratulate Mrs Goodman on her birthday.

“She was living on Haslingden Old Road, Rawtenstall, until four years ago when she came to live with us.”

Joan was born in the same year that Ivy Williams became the first woman to be accepted to the English Bar, Howard Carter entered the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun and the BBC was formed and the first licence fee of 10 shillings was charged.