Social distancing rules might have put paid to plans for a big family party, but Marjorie Joyce Clark from Vigo still celebrated her 100th birthday in style.

A total of 50 cards – including one from The Queen – and seven bouquets, showed that thoughts were with her on the big day on September 19, and grandsons Kari and Laif were able to join the celebrations.

Marjorie, who has lived in Gravesham for 73 years, moved in with son Vaughan and his wife Wendy four years ago, meaning she was surrounded by close family at home in Vigo.

Born in Hereford in 1920, Marjorie moved at the age of seven to Stourbridge, where her father had a job driving Midland Red buses. She had to walk two hours a day to Old Swinford Girls School, which she left when she was 14. She was then employed by Arden Knitware in Birmingham becoming a finisher, sewing up seams with some clothes purchased by royalty.

When the Second World War broke out, Marjorie was called to a munitions factory in Hurtleberry, filling 303 bullets with gunpowder.

She married Cran Young in May 1943, who was then a Flight Engineer in the RAF, but tragedy struck in the October when his Halifax Bomber was shot down over France, while he was dropping food for the free French. Marjorie was widowed at 23.

Cran had died on his mother's birthday, and Marjorie, although shattered by the loss, could only take one day off to mourn, with her place essential in the munitions factory.

Son Vaughan added: "My mother paid the ultimate sacrifice in losing her husband, Cran, after being married for just a few months. On VE day when everybody was celebrating, she spent the day crying as she knew her husband would not be returning."

Four years later, when on holiday at Weston-super-Mare, she met future husband Norman Clark in the Winter Gardens dance hall.

Also in the RAF, Norman was a Warrant Officer stationed at the nearby Locking Camp, and had completed his tour of 32 ops flying as a Rear Gunner in Lancaster Bombers, perhaps even having fired the 303 bullets Marjorie had made.

They were married in 1947 with Marjorie eventually relocating to Shorne, having a son, Vaughan.

She took in dressmaking and joined the local Women's Institute, becoming the longest serving member at 97.

When Norman died in 1990, it made her a War Widow, through Cran, and she would go on to march at the Cenotaph.

Her son added: "At a war widow's convention, she talked to Camilla and Prince Charles who said, "You must come to Highgrove". Later, through the WI she indeed went to Highgrove, where in a marquee, Prince Charles pointed at her and said 'You've come!'

"Well, at 4ft10ins with white hair she's not hard to recognise."

Vaughan said his mother had enjoyed a "wonderful birthday."

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