My hair stood on end!

The mother-of-nine, who has lived in the same house in Holme Wood for 41 years, has spent the time improving the lives of others on the estate.

And now she has been rewarded for her selflessness with a special award in memory of former housing manager Gerry Pickersgill who died at the age of 41 last Christmas.

Mrs McCarton - who reluctantly admits to being in her 70s - says her "hair stood on end" with the shock of receiving the silver plate at the annual meeting of Bradford & District Tenants and Residents Federation in City Hall.

She recalled her move to Holme Wood with six of her children when back-to-backs on Manchester Road were demolished by the Council.

She said: "A lot of my neighbours moved with me and we thought it was absolutely beautiful. It was like living in the country.

"The house seemed like a barracks block, it was so big and it was absolutely wonderful to have a garden.

"We were good neighbours and there was a great spirit on the estate."

Mrs McCarton said there were many community groups and she served with tenants and councillors on an organisation named Holme Wood's Heritage which worked to get improvements on the estate, which became badly in need of modernisation.

When Government-funded City Challenge came along with more than £30 million to spend improving the sprawling estate, Joyce became a leading light.

She said: "Everybody thinks City Challenge did all the houses. But in fact the Council and Government Estate Action did two thirds.

"It was all huge consultation and we had to knock on 3,000 doors telling people what was happening and they had a huge choice of things to improve the houses.

"It was very exciting and very rewarding."

She said 80 per cent of the tenants had kept their houses well, but a few had let the estate slide back.

But in the aftermath of the Holme Wood euphoria, Mrs McCarton says she began to think of other tenants across the district who were not so lucky.

"There were other tenants in other parts of the city who didn't have what we have had and every tenant has a right to a warm, comfortable home."

That set her on the wider road as a member of the South East Area Tenants' and Residents' Association.

She said today: "It has been a wonderful life and very hard work, but good. It's all very rewarding."

Mrs McCarton - who worked for 20 years at Brigella Mills, Bradford, as a twister - said she was proud of her five sons, four daughters, 17 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

"They all still live in Bradford and there is always somebody in the house. I hope that I will always live here.

"I am very proud to have received the award. I went cold with shock and my hair stood on end. I didn't know a thing about it beforehand."

Bradford and District Tenancy Federation chairman John Rawnsley, pictured with Mrs McCarton, praised her work for other tenants.

He said: "Nobody could have done what she did over the years. She has done tremendously well."

But Mrs McCarton said she would like to see more younger people becoming involved in the tenant organisations. "It would be wonderful if they could come along and get involved."

Bradford Council's director of housing Geraldine Howley said: "By far the majority of nominations we received from area and local residents' groups were for Joyce. She is known throughout the district for her marvellous work, which she has now been doing for 35 years.

"I am delighted that Joyce is the first person to receive the Gerry Pickersgill Tenant Involvement Award. She deserves it for all her hard work and dedication."

The ceremony in the banqueting hall at City Hall was attended by the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, Councillor Stanley King and Mrs Barbara Ball, Gerry's widow, Janet, his children, Mark, Lee and Holly, as well as other members of the family.