A FORMER suffragette and one of Gwent’s oldest residents has celebrated her 107th birthday with family and friends at a Monmouthshire pub.

Amy Winifred Hawkins, also known as Win, turned 107 on Wednesday, January 24 but her party was held at the Bell Inn in Redbrook on Saturday – February 3.

With a family of musicians at the party, it was a pleasant celebration of the Monmouth great-grandmother’s latest birthday bash.

“We are a family of musicians, so we played some music. Both my daughters sing and I sing as well,” said Mrs Hawkins’ daughter, Rozi Morris.

“It was very pleasant with family and friends there. Her sister who is 98 years old was also there.”

Born in Cardiff in 1911, Mrs Hawkins lived most of her life in Newport, where she worked as a window dresser.

As a teenager, she was a dancer and toured the country doing pantomimes.

She got married to a commercial artist when she was 27 and, at 36, she became a mother.

She now has two granddaughters - Tamzin Powell and Hannah Freeman and a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter.

During the Second World War, she was a fire watcher, raising an alarm in emergencies.

After celebrating her latest birthday, the 107-year-old is eager to get back to one of her favourite pastimes.

“She is doing fine. She thoroughly enjoyed it,” added Mrs Hawkins’ daughter.

“She is still going strong. She is currently waiting for a cataracts operation, so she can go back to her knitting.

“She just seems to go on and on and on.”