Violet specially requested a bargain bucket for her centenary (Picture: David Clarke/Solent News)
A former newsagent celebrated reaching triple figures by putting her birthday candles in a KFC bucket.
Violet Osborne, who just turned 100, was introduced to fast food fairly late in life but became a big fan, struggling to choose between a bargain bucket and a Happy Meal to celebrate her big milestone.
KFC didn’t open in the UK until 1965, by which point Violet was already 41. McDonalds took another decade to arrive on our shores – but despite not eating it for the first half of her life so far, she has made up for lost time.
Violet, grandmother to Oliver and Becky and great gran to Kara, Ava, Mia and Theo, loves shopping, knitting, word searches, reading and music, especially Coldplay.
The ‘people person’ was still helping out neighbours with shopping into her nineties – even when they were much younger.
Violet (right) with her older sister Lily beside her (Picture: Solent)
Violet pictured with daughter Wendy Dunford (Picture: David Clarke/Solent News)
After receiving a birthday card from The King, Violet tucked into her £13.99 six piece bargain bucket, declaring: ‘I love KFC!’
But she doesn’t attribute her longevity to the food, which is generally linked less favourably to lifespan.
That probably has more to do with drinking a glass of milk a day, she says, with the fried chicken more of a treat.
Violet, the middle child among five girls all named after flowers, has lived in the West End area of Southampton for the past 37 years.
She met her future husband Horace while working in a sawmill, and then lived with him in London while producing ammunition cases for the WW2 war effort and driving delivery trucks.
After taking some time out with her children, Violet went back to work at a newsagents frequented by Cliff Richard, The Beverley sisters and Cherie Blair, and later moved to Southampton to be closer to family.
Daughter Wendy said: ‘She’s a people person and always has been. Mum loves to stop and chat to people; walks around West End take a lot longer than they should!
‘She has a heart of gold and we want her to know just how special and loved she is by us all.’
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