The Gaines girls have grown in number. A Farnham family which until recently comprised four generations of women has added a fifth with the birth of Dolli Elizabeth Gaines on January 30.

Dolli is the daughter of Teagan Elizabeth Gaines, who is the daughter of Holli Elizabeth Gaines, daughter of Lynne Mcneil Gaines, daughter of Valerie Elizabeth Wilson.

Great-great grandmother Valerie, whose second name was given to later generations, is approaching her 89th birthday in May, while her daughter Lynne has just turned 65. Lynne’s daughter, Holli, is 37 and Teagan is 18.

Holli told The Herald: “There are 19 of us in the family and only six are men or boys.

“When we get together it is chaos but great fun. The kids all get on and the adults get the prosecco and gin out.

“The only problem is finding a place large enough to meet! I’m trying to sort somewhere for Mother’s Day at the moment.”

There haven’t been many men in the family for years. Holli continued: “My granddad, my mum’s dad, died when she was young and my dad died when I was young.

“My nan had three girls, my mum had two and I have four.”

Holli runs her own cleaning, washing and ironing business and has done so since her seven-year-old twins were born. Teagan helps her with that, while Lynne works for a mortgage company and Valerie worked for the telephone exchange.

Three generations attended Farnham Heath End School, while Valerie was at the Girls’ Grammar School. Holli’s twins attend William Cobbett Primary School, again following a family tradition.

Hollie, who is bringing up her girls on her own, added: “We are a massive family of strong, independent women who get things done.

“We even have t-shirts saying: ‘The Gaines Girls’. We are women who empower others.”