GRANNY BELLA’S FESTIVE LIGHT SHOW

Granny Bella is set to light up Bedlington Station – at the grand old age of 101.

The long term resident of Sleekburn House will be pressing the switch to illuminate the 20-foot Christmas tree outside the Bernicia Group’s sheltered accommodation.

As probably the oldest ‘switcher-on’ in the county, Mary Latty, or Granny Bella as she is fondly known to her 11 grandchildren, is looking forward to the occasion on December 1 with a little trepidation.

“I’m not very good at being the centre of attention. I prefer being in the background,” she said. “I’m a bit nervous. It’s the first time I’ve been asked to do such a thing.”

Choppington-born Mary, who has lived in the area all her life, raising four sons and a daughter, will be accompanied at the festive switching on ceremony by granddaughter Alison and great granddaughter Bethany.

Sponsored by East Bedlington Parish Council, the event, which begins at 6.30pm, is being hosted by local resident and South Northumberland Radio Group member Colin Patterson who runs Station Entertainments. He has put together a programme of entertainment which includes a steel band - Holly’s School of Steel, Meadowdale Middle School’s pocket sized singing star Chloe Fennell, the ‘Main Attraction’ dancers from the Ashington-based Dance conservatory, fireworks display and a laser light show.

Sleekburn House relief warden Ruth Bunn said: “All the residents are getting excited about the event. It’s going to be a special day.

“And it’s great that Mary is doing the switch-on. We all think the world of her; she’s everyone’s perfect grandma.

“She’s still very active, going on weekly shopping trips and doing her washing and ironing every Monday,” she added.

Although disliking the limelight, Mary was the centre of attention in June last year when her family arranged a surprise party to celebrate her hundredth birthday. One of her presents was an illustrated 179-page hard back book titled “Ten Decades of Mary Isabella Latty – The Life and Times of Mary Bella” which had been compiled in secret by grandson and professional chef Colin Bussey. The book contains not only dozens of pictures of Mary and her family, but also the recipes of the many delicious foodstuffs for which she was famous for cooking, from cakes and puddings to bread and biscuits.

Mary McNally was born on June 26, 1910 and was christened, and married to late husband miner Robert Latty, in St Paul’s Church, Choppington. She recalls as a child attending The Primitive chapel in Barrington, Sunday school outings to Seaton Sluice and regular visits to The Palace picture house in Bedlington Station to see the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Her weekly tuppence pocket money paid for the cinema and a bag of sweets.

In her adult years Mary, who now has 19 great grandchildren and five great great grandchildren, devoted her life to raising a family and later to voluntary work: she was for 40 years an active volunteer and organiser on the local Women’s Co-operative Guild helping the blind and elderly, and also a founder member of the Bedlington Station Club over-60s group.