A well-known Whitehaven woman has marked a milestone birthday surrounded by family and friends.

Flora Macdonald Pickering, a former cook at Marchon, turned 100 this week and to celebrate she was treated to afternoon tea by her family at the weekend followed by a party a couple of days later.

Flora was married to her husband Henry, who worked at Haig Pit, for more than 60 years and the couple lived all of their married life at High Road, Kells.

Following Henry’s death, Flora continued to live there until she was 90 before moving down the road to Monkwray Court.

Before she got married, and for a short while after, she worked at Smith Brothers in Whitehaven.

She then went to Marchon where she worked as a cook and stayed there until she retired.

Her daughter-in-law, Marjorie Pickering, said: “Flora’s full of life – she’s bouncing.

“She knows a lot, if you ask her to name any shop that’s ever been on Whitehaven King Street, she can tell you and she’ll also tell you all the old stories about Whitehaven.

“Her life was always work and her husband, Henry.”

She has one son, Stuart, three grandchildren Gordon, Lesley and Joanne and three great-grandchildren, Gavin, Chloe and Luke.

The whole family celebrated with afternoon tea at Workington Golf Club at the weekend and on Tuesday, her actual birthday, friends and family held a party for her in Monkwray Court.