Birthday girl Dot Blades from Manea smiles through lockdown as she turns 101

A montage of pictures from friends and family posted via social media helped a Manea woman enjoy her 101st birthday while in coronavirus quarantine.

Doris Blades, known to everyone as Dot, celebrated the milestone birthday on Wednesday and while her Manea home would normally be filled with friends and family on such an auspicious occasion this year, she was home alone with her son Graham.

Instead her granddaughter Kelly, who lives in Wales, used new technology to send the woman she describes as a "legend" a birthday message and also contacted the local BBC radio station to help make the day that bit more special.

Kelly said:"Nana Blades is a absolute legend, she is like a second mum to me, and I have never not been with her on her birthday. But this year I'm self-isolating in Wales and for obvious reasons couldn't be with her, but she we didn't want to take any chances with her health.

"Instead I have asked all my friends and family to send in a picture of themselves with a message for Nana Blades and I'm making it into a special slide show for her.

"I have also Facetimed her for a chat, which was great. She is the best woman on earth, everybody knows her. It was great to speak to her and hear she was so chirpy of her birthday.

"She is comparing what is happening now with the war time, but pointed out that they were allowed out during the war, which is not true at the moment. She says we will get through it and is looking forward to celebrating her birthday properly when we are able to get together again."

Kelly said her grandmother puts her long life down to "never being drunk".