It's a wonderful life, says Gladys, 106

Bingo-loving great grandmother Gladys Mott has celebrated her 106th birthday and declared: It's a wonderful life.
Gladys from Crawley celebrates her 106th birthday. Pic Pic Steve Robards  SR169731 SUS-160807-152120001Gladys from Crawley celebrates her 106th birthday. Pic Pic Steve Robards  SR169731 SUS-160807-152120001
Gladys from Crawley celebrates her 106th birthday. Pic Pic Steve Robards SR169731 SUS-160807-152120001

Gladys, who was born on July 2 1910, marked her milestone birthday with a party at St John’s Hall in Crawley where she is a regular weekly bingo player.

Despite her age, Gladys still leads an active social life and is a member of several Crawley clubs - and enjoys playing bingo three times a week.

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Born in London with four brothers and two sisters, Gladys used to help run her father’s sweet shop after he was blinded during a gas attack in the First World War.

Her first job was with Charles Lex Bookbinders before she went on to work for Peerless in Dean Street, London, where she made lampshades.

Over her 40 years with the company she made shades for the Queen, the Duchess of Kent, the King of Norway and a host of celebrities including singer Tom Jones and actor Wilfred Pickles.

She loved dancing and only gave up at the age of 97. She said as she marked her 100th birthday six years ago: “I wish I could still dance. I’d dance right now if I could.”

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It was a fitting dance scene that decorated Gladys’ specially-made cake at her party organised by her local bingo club last week.

Gladys, who says she has led a ‘wonderful’ life, has one daughter, two grandsons and two great grandsons. She now becomes one of Britain’s oldest residents.

Her brother, Bill Murray, 95, also lives in Crawley.

Friend John Cornell said: “She is a very unique sort of lady.

“She doesn’t make a big thing of her age. She just takes every day as it comes.”