SPRIGHTLY Minnie Pritchard celebrated her 100th Birthday this week with her friends and relatives at Three Bridges Nursing Home in Latchford.

Friends say Minnie has reached such a grand old age through working hard, enjoying her food, and because she's never drank or smoked.

Minnie, who was 100 last Wednesday, received a telegram from the Queen and the Secretary of State as well as cards and flowers from her family on the other side of the world in Australia.

She is one of 15 brothers and sisters and has lived in Warrington all her. Minnie was a supervisor in a cotton mill during the war, before working as a doctor's receptionist in Padgate.

Minnie loves reading and bingo, and, being very close to her family, she has spent much of recent years caring for her relatives.

Her grandson, James Pritchard, said: "She's always helping people, if she won a million pounds she'd give it all away, she'll do anything for anybody."

Being a keen jetsetter meant that on her 90th birthday, Minnie travelled across the world to America and visit her family. Recently she has travelled to Australia to see her younger sister Bessie and her grandson, Alan.

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