Olive Burnard, once renowned for her fondness for being at the head of the queue when new shops opened, found herself in pole position again - to celebrate her 100th birthday.

No self-respecting store, be it Woolworths, Marks & Spencer or Boots, used to consider itself truly ready to trade until it got the once-over from Olive.

She was almost invariably first in the queue waiting for any new shop in Oxford to open.

Yesterday she was at the head of a different queue - as family and friends waiting to wish her many happy returns at a 100th birthday party in The Original Swan pub in Cowley.

Olive, of Phipps Road, Cowley, was brought up in West Wycombe, one of 11 children. It was not until she married in 1929 that she moved to Oxford. She worked as a typist for the BBC, at Oxford University and was a supply teacher for a short time.

Olive's keenness for queues also saw her first in the line of mourners to see King George VI lying in state in London, and she stayed up all night to see Winston Churchill's funeral cortege go past.

She said faith in God had always been important, and she believed it had helped her live so long.

Olive, who has three children, 11 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren, said her other secret to reaching 100 was enjoying the great outdoors.

She added: "I have had a lot of ups and downs, but more ups than downs."

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