A Bradford woman has marked her 100th birthday by experiencing her first ever surprise party.
Esme Spence has dedicated most of her life to helping loved ones - now her friends felt it was high time to celebrate their centenarian’s milestone moment in style.
Esme, who lives in Idle, walked into Church on the Way to the warm smiles of life-long friends and acquaintances.
The Lord Mayor of Bradford Councillor Martin Love was among those who attended Esme’s special day.
“It was absolutely amazing,” Barry Williams, who first met Esme and her late husband Jeff at the Jacob’s Well pub, said.
“She didn’t know anything about it. I spoke to her this morning on the phone and she said, ‘I’ve never had a party like that in all my life’. We were there for two hours and a lot of people turned up for it.
“She’s very clever, if you had a quiz you’d want her on your side. She’s easy going and pleasant. She makes the best of what she’s got. She’s a good egg.”
Born on April 15, 1923, Esme was an only child and grew up in Leeds.
She was a carer for her mother, who had been involved in an accident at a munitions factory, until the day she died.
Esme worked at an opticians shop in one of the arcades in Leeds for a short time before meeting her husband in her 50s.
The couple moved to Buttershaw initially and later resided in West Bowling.
When Jeff passed away, Barry helped Esme move so she could live closer to her circle of friends.
One of her favourite pastimes is enjoying adult colouring books.
When asked for Esme’s secret to a long life, Barry said: “She’s always eaten everything she wanted - cream or anything. She hasn’t ever bothered about what she’s eaten. She’s never smoked. She’s been a very light drinker. She’s just lived life without cigarettes, without much alcohol and good food. She puts that down to her good health.”
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