Bispham grandmother celebrates her 109th birthday and is believed to be Lancashire's oldest person

Sarah Marian Knight has lived through the reign of five monarchs, survived two world wars and even came through a bout of Covid.

Marian, as she likes to be known, is some 18 months older than Lancashire’s oldest man, William Wright Staples, of Whittle Le Woods man, who will be 108 in December.

She celebrated the big occasion on Friday June 30 at the King Edward Care Home, on Warbreck Drive, Blackpool, with members of her family around her.

Daughter Jeanne Andrew, 79, said: “Mum is made of sturdy stuff and we are so proud of her.

"Until she was 99 she was still living in her own house and was very independent but unfortunately, dementia took over and mum has lived at the King Edward Care Home for the last eight years.

“But we’ve still had plenty of celebrations in the last few years – mum has received five cards from Queen Elizabeth and this time she received one form King Charles and Queen Camilla.

"They will all will be treasured by the family.”

She was born on June 30 1914, just two days after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria lit the fuse for the First World War, which began just a few weeks later.

King George V was on the British throne and H. H. Asquith was Prime Minister – and Marian has lived through a total of 23 Prime Ministers.

After arriving in Bispham, Marian and Harry opened a guest house on Hesketh Avenue which they ran until 1964.

She has been a resident of The King Edward Care Home, on Warbreck Drive, North Shore, since 2015, and her family say staff there are extremely caring and compassionate and go the extra mile for everyone in their care.

After arriving in Bispham, Marian and Harry opened a guest house on Hesketh Avenue which they ran until 1964.

Marian and family were all members of what was then Cavendish Road Congregational Church, later to become Bispham United Reform Church.

Her father was the choirmaster and Harry and Trevor were both members of the choir.

She continued to attend church until 2018 when failing health made it too difficult.

Apart from daughter Jeanne, 79, and son Trevor, 83, who lives in Todmorden, Lancashire, Marian has three surviving grandchildren – sadly one died – and two greatgrandchildren.