FIVE GENERATIONS of women gathered to mark the 100th birthday of Keighley woman Grace Rothwell.

They celebrated the life of a woman who while still a teenager in Parkwood rescued a man from the River Aire.

Grace was joined at the party by her daughter Victoria Williams, granddaughter Marie Seddon and great-granddaughters Charlene Smith and Deborah Foster.

Completing the family line-up was Charlene’s 18-month-old daughter Grace, who is named after her great-great-grandmother.

Grace has lived at Riddlesden Rest Home since last summer, but for most of her life she lived in the Ingrow and Exley Head areas.

Grace, whose maiden name was Plunt, was born in Parkwood, and was while still living there at the age of 15 or 16 when she saw a man drowning in the River Aire.

The daughter Victoria said: “My mother dived in because she was a good swimmer, and pulled him out.

“She went to her friend’s house to dry off because she was scared she would be in trouble with her parents for getting wet.

“They knew nothing about the rescue until the man’s wife went to her house to thank her.”

Grace received a medal for her bravery, and a story about the rescue appeared in the Keighley News.

Grace married Keighley man Billy Rothwell in the 1930s and moved first to Ingrow, where they brought up only child Victoria.

During the Second World War, Grace was a supervisor on the night shift at a munitions factory in Dalton Lane.

It was at the factory where Grace made friends with Daisy Harrison, who has been her friend for the past 73 years and attended her 100th birthday party.

After the war Grace worked as a reeler at Laxton’s Mill in Keighley before becoming manageress at the former Shackleton’s Wool Shop in Cavendish Street.

Grace worked in the shop for the many years before her retirement, while Billy worked as a painter and decorator. Grace lost her husband 25 years ago.

Victoria said her mother was now quite deaf, but still enjoyed her hobbies like knitting and doing crosswords.

Victoria said: “She’s outgoing, quite a pleasant person who gets on with people.”