A WOMAN celebrated her 100th birthday at a Keighley bingo hall after playing there every week for 45 years.

Staff at Buzz Bingo in Alice Street laid on a spread for Eunice Greenwood as she popped in for her weekly ‘eyes down’.

Eunice has visited the hall – previously Ritz Bingo and Gala Bingo – with her daughter Glenis every Sunday since it was converted from a cinema to a bingo hall in 1974.

Buzz Bingo wanted to celebrate her life and loyalty so they arranged a limousine to ferry her to a red carpet entrance followed by cake, cocktails and of course bingo.

Eunice said: “Bingo means everything to me - I’ve been visiting with my daughter every Sunday since the 70s and couldn’t have celebrated my 100th birthday anywhere better.”

Eunice’s daughter Glenis Allan agreed it was a lovely evening, riding in a limousine and eating lots of cake.

She added: “My mum couldn’t have celebrated such an amazing milestone at a better place – it’s one of our favourite places to visit together.

“We have been coming here for what feels like all my life and it’s so heart-warming that the Keighley team are celebrating us as a family would do.”

Peter Sandford, general manager at Buzz Bingo Keighley, said he loved seeing loyal customers celebrating special moments with his team.

He added: “Eunice is an avid bingo player who I look forward to chatting to every Sunday. My team did a fantastic job of organising the night and ensuring it was memorable for both Eunice and her family.

“Bingo is all about togetherness and community. 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.”

Mr Sandford said the birthday celebration linked nicely to recent research, revealed in the Sun newspaper, which suggested  the social aspects of bingo helped reduce dementia through engaging the mind and building up ‘brain power’, also known as cognitive reserve.

He said: “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.”