A LANCASHIRE dialect poet who wrote verses for the Pope has had her first ever birthday party - at the age of 90.

Alice Maddock was toasted by her three children, seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren at the party, at her home in Springfield Court in Bacup.

The party, complete with balloons, singers and a visit from Mayor of Rossendale Eileen Kershaw, was the first one she had ever had. Alice, an ex-weaver, has lived in Bacup all her life, apart from a brief period during World War Two when she spent four years in Crawley working at a bomb-making factory.

Her hobby has always been writing Lancashire dialect poetry which she recited from memory to entertain guests.

Three of her poems have been published in an anthology. In the 1980s she wrote a poem for the Pope and received a letter in reply which she keeps on constant display.

Though she is now partially sighted and uses a wheelchair, Alice still leads an active lifestyle and attends events at Whitworth Civic Hall.

Her daughter Jan Hamer, 49, said: "The party on Saturday was absolutely brilliant and she had such a good time enjoying the balloons, the cake, the candles and the old-fashioned songs. Even though she can't see very well to write poetry she still knows a lot and recited it for the guests.

"The letter from the Pope is something she was so pleased with and she keeps it in a frame up on the wall.

"She has always been very active and still gets out a lot with the family and she certainly got into the spirit of the party and had a great day and night to celebrate turning 90."