No worries for long-lived Elsie

Sep 19 2008 by Paul Mannion, Chester Chronicle

A PINT of Guinness a day is the secret of long life, according to a 90-year-old birthday girl from Helsby.

Keen bowls player Elsie Kenny of Back Crosland Terrace, Helsby, celebrated her 90th birthday with her family last week.

She said: “My secret to a long life is to not worry about anything and have a pint of Guinness every day, or a drop of sherry. I never thought I was going to live this long.

“Playing bowls has helped keep me fit and the camaraderie between the players has helped a lot as well.”

Elsie was born in Helsby on September 12, 1918 – the same year women gained the vote and the Great War ended – and lived there all her life.

She worked at BICC, where she was secretary of the ladies BICC bowls team and was also a founding member of the Helsby Tuesday Club and has been a member of the Mothers’ Union for 69 years.

Just last week Elsie attended a competition at Helsby bowls club to hand out awards.

In 1939 Elsie married her husband Fred and the couple will celebrate their platinum wedding anniversary – 70 years – in June next year.

Elsie’s son Roger Kenny said: “We went for a meal to the Stamford Bridge Inn with her family. She had lots of visitors who came around over the weekend.”