Great-great-grandmother from Yorkshire who has played bingo every week for 45 years celebrates 100th birthday

A great-great-grandmother from Yorkshire who has not missed her weekly game of bingo in 45 years has credited her hobby with her long life - as she reached the grand age of 100.

Eunice Greenwood celebrated her centenary with a special party at her local bingo hall where she has attended with her daughter every Sunday night since 1974.

Staff at Buzz Bingo in Keighley, West Yorks., rolled out the red carpet for twice-widowed Eunice, who was surrounded by friends and family to celebrate her big day.

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Eunice, who worked in ammunitions during the second world war, was picked up from her home in a limousine on December 29, one day before her birthday.

Eunice GreenwoodEunice Greenwood
Eunice Greenwood

At the Buzz Bingo hall she was treated to cake, cocktails and cards from well-wishers.

Her two children, Glenis Allan, 73, and Duncan Buttle, 75, six grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and nine great-great-grandchildren also celebrated her big day at bingo with her.

Glenis, who accompanies Eunice to the bingo every week said: "Everybody was able to get together which was brilliant.

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"She loved having all her family round her for her big day, some of them live as far away as London and Weymouth so she doesn't get to see them that often.

Eunice GreenwoodEunice Greenwood
Eunice Greenwood

"A young girl who works at the bingo presented her with a cake that her sister had made for her, which was lovely.

"We've been coming here for what feels like my whole life and she couldn't have celebrated her birthday anywhere better.

"They did a party for her last year when she turned 99 and the manager realised her age and organised another one to celebrate her turning 100.

"They put a limousine on for her and picked her up.

Eunice GreenwoodEunice Greenwood
Eunice Greenwood
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"There was six of us in the limo and it drove her round for a bit to let her enjoy the ride before dropping her off at the bingo where they had the red carpet rolled out for her.

"She loved it, she didn't quite think she deserved such a fuss, but she was happy to be with her friends and family at the place she loves."

Eunice was thrilled she could spend her birthday at her beloved bingo where she has frequented since it opened in 1974 - just two years before her first husband, Arthur Buttle passed away in 1976.

Eunice later remarried Frank Greenwood who tragically died in 1986.

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She said: "Bingo means everything to me. I've been so spoilt here, everybody has been great to me, I had a wonderful time.

"I’ve been visiting Buzz Bingo with my daughter every Sunday since the ’70s and couldn’t have celebrated my 100th birthday anywhere better."

Glenis said she believes the weekly games help to keep her mum's mind sharp and provide a vital social outlet for the former woollen mill worker.

She added: "She struggles a bit, she is deaf in one ear and she's quite slow, so we get a strip of bingo tickets and she only does half of them.

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"It's great for her, it gets her out of the house and she sees other people.

"She's got lots of friends she has made at the bingo.

"She's always gone to the bingo and she used to go a lot more, she used to go two or three times a week.

"After her second husband died, she met a partner at bingo and they used to go regularly. They used to go on to the casino afterwards.

"She is getting a bit forgetful, but she knows when it's bingo time. Every Sunday she's ready to go and she knows what time I will be there to pick her up."

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Peter Sandford, general manager at Buzz Bingo Keighley, said: "I love seeing my loyal customers celebrating special moments with us.

"Eunice is an avid bingo player who I look forward to chatting to every Sunday.

"Bingo is all about togetherness and community and putting on events like this allows us to bring people together to celebrate significant milestones with friends they’ve met through a shared love of Bingo.

"It was an amazing evening, the Buzz Bingo Keighley team have done a fantastic job of organising the night and ensured it was memorable for both Eunice and her family."

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Research suggests that bingo’s social aspects help to reduce dementia through engaging the mind and building up ‘brain power’ also known as cognitive reserve.

Around 850,000 Brits suffer from dementia and although there is no cure, one in three cases are preventable through improving social lifestyle.

Mr Sandford added: "Doctors have encouraged the elderly to socialise regularly whether that’s going for a walk with a friend, sharing a pot of coffee or in Eunice’s case, heading to her local bingo hall."

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