A MUSSELBURGH great-grandmother and lifelong Hibs supporter celebrated her 100th birthday with a surprise visit from some of her footballing heroes.
Mary 'May' McNeill, resident at Carberry Care Home, marked the milestone with an armchair yoga session in the morning before a party with cake, music and story-telling surrounded by family, friends and residents.
And the centenarian was "over the moon" when current Hibernian players Chris Cadden, Warren O'Hora and Jack Iredale appeared at the door to wish her a happy birthday and gift her a signed strip.
John Hughes, who once played for and managed the Easter Road side, joined to celebrate her milestone birthday.
Born on March 17 to Williamina Howie and Archibald Howie, a coalminer, in Deantown, Whitecraig, May was the middle child of eight siblings: Minnie, Jessie, Jock, George, Jean, Billy and a sibling who passed away at a young age.
She left Cowpits school and started working in a greenhouse at Scarlett's farm, Sweethope, then on to a dairy in Musselburgh, and in wartime worked at Bruntons Aero Products, where she was involved in finishing and polishing metal components for aircrafts.
May recalls her boss telling her she had the "highest standards of finish in the team" - praise fitting given her advice for getting to the age of 100 was "hard work and a good work ethic!"
She married Danny McNeill in 1954 at Inveresk Church and the couple set up their first home on Inveresk Road before moving to a newly built house in Whitecraig.
They had two children, Trish in 1957 and Ian in 1962, later welcomingd grandchildren Alistair, Eilidh and Andrew, and great-grandchildren May and Edith.
The family often took camping and caravan holidays with family friends to Aberdeenshire, Leven, the north of England and Torquay, and when their children had grown up, the couple enjoyed coach trips to Europe.
After retirement, she helped to look after her grandchildren before her daughter moved to Hampshire; she also cared for Danny after he developed dementia.
May also enjoyed going to Musselburgh race days but now prefers to relax watching the horse racing on TV, as well as her beloved Hibs.
She also enjoyed gardening, baking her "famous" sultana cakes, knitting and staying active with fitness classes, swimming and indoor bowling.
A representative from Carberry Care Home said that Mary was "thrilled" with her birthday surprise and they were "privileged to share her incredible day".
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