Spritely great-gran June Blackburn has just celebrated her 90th birthday with a spring in her step.

The remarkable ex-shop assistant took up dancing lessons when she was 80. And she now attends four sessions a week of tap, ballroom and two keep-fit workouts.

June was widowed when she was in her 50s and when her new partner, a neighbour she had known for years died, she needed something to do to “stop her going crazy”.

The mother-of-three boys said: “One of my sons wanted to take up art and crafts but that wasn’t for me.

“I can’t be doing with sitting around.”

After working in shops in Medway for 75 years she said she had “always been on the go”.

She said: “I suffer from diabetes and needed something to keep my legs going.”

When she turned up to enrol at her first class with 50+ Dance for Life she noticed it was mostly women so she quickly chose to dance as a “man” so she got a partner to escort her across the floor.

June now attends mostly with her friend, Dawn, 72, to keep-fit on Monday at Parkwood and on Thursday at Strood and on Fridays she does tap in Gillingham followed by ballroom at Twydall.

Dance teacher Skye Starr said: “June is an amazing inspiration to us all.

“She lives life to the fullest and is a wonderful example of how you can do anything if you really want to.

“June really is a shining star.”

‘I’m still going strong and won’t give up until my legs tell me to do so...’

Skye, who works at dance academies in Parkwood, Walderslade, Gillingham, Strood and Rainham, organised a surprise party for June, whose milestone birthday was on April 21.

June said: “Skye picked me up from my home and said my keep-fit had been cancelled and she was taking me out to lunch instead.

“I turned up at Lordswood Leisure Centre and there were 20 people there from my classes and some from other classes.”

With a large family, including eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, June has enjoyed a host of birthday treats and lunches.

When she is not attending her crammed weekly exercise routine, she is shopping and housekeeping her home in Minerva Road where she has lived for 60 years.

June grew up in Strood, went to Gordon Road and Chapter schools and worked in shops, including Maypole, one of the first supermarket chains in the country.

She met husband Dennis when she was out cycling with a mate in Upnor and they stopped off to watch him play cricket.

The couple started dating when she was 16 and he was 19 and got married at St Nicholas Church in the town when she was 21.

During lockdown she took up embroidery while lessons were on hold but couldn’t wait to get back into the swing of her classes.

June said: “I’m still going strong and won’t give up until my legs tell me to do so.”