A WOMAN who recently turned 100 at a Care Centre in Whitchurch says the secret to a long life is to ‘just keep going’.

Whitchurch Mayor, Councillor Andy Hall, made a special visit to Bradbury Care Centre to commemorate a remarkable milestone – Betty Parish's 100th birthday.

To mark this incredible centenary, the devoted staff and volunteers at Bradbury Care Centre organized a festive celebration, complete with a 1920s theme, donning 'Flapper Girl' costumes.

OTHER NEWS:

Betty, who frequents the Centre five days a week, expressed her delight, stating, "We had a wonderful time – I loved that everybody joined in.

“The club here is really good and the staff is amazing; they really look after us."

Manager Mandy Silvester shared that this was the first time they had commemorated a member's 100th birthday.

She added: “Betty said to me about five years ago that when she gets to 100, she wants to have a good old knees up.

“So that’s exactly what we did, and of course we had to do a 1920s theme.”

Whitchurch Herald: Betty and Cllr Hall together with staff, dressed as flapper girls, at the birthday partyBetty and Cllr Hall together with staff, dressed as flapper girls, at the birthday party (Image: PR)

Betty is a self-described "feisty old bird from the east end of London," and was born in 1923 in Whitehall, London.

Mandy continued: “We had girls dressed up as flappers, a guy dressed up as a beefeater to symbolise her London heritage and someone in army uniform as she is a veteran, and we tried to cover all aspects of her background.”

Betty’s journey through life has been nothing short of extraordinary.

She embarked on a military career at a young age and travelled extensively with her husband, living across the globe, including in South Africa.

Want to stay up to date with all the latest stories from Whitchurch and the surrounding area? Click here to sign up for our morning and daily email newsletters and click on the + for the 'Morning Briefing' and the 'Daily Catch-Up'.

After her adventures, she settled back in the UK and has been a dedicated attendee of the Care Centre since January 2016.

She currently resides near Wem with her son, Martin, and his wife.

When asked about the secret to her long life, Betty's advice was simple yet profound: "If you want to live a long life, just carry on as normal and keep going. If you feel like ‘oh dear, oh dear,' just get yourself up and carry on."