A KEEN bridge player celebrated her 100th birthday by challenging her friends to a game.

Miriam Walpole has been a member of the Basingstoke Bridge Club, which meets in Sherborne Road, since moving to Basingstoke more than a decade ago, having first become interested in the game in the 1930s.

The former maths teacher brought up her two children, David and Keith, in Hertfordshire, before moving to Norfolk to be closer to her sister.

She then relocated to Basingstoke to be closer to her late son Keith, who lived in Chineham.

The mother-of-two and grandmother-of-eight received a card from The Queen on her milestone birthday, on October 24.

She celebrated the special occasion with a party surrounded by around 80 friends and family at The Hilton Hotel, in Basingstoke, on her big day.

Miriam, who lives in Brighton Hill, gave a speech to her guests, during which she spoke about old friends and humorous family incidents that have happened in the past.

Her son David, who lives in Wales, said: “She enjoys bridge and plays two or three times a week and has done for many years.

“She loves Scrabble. She’s bright as a button.”

He described his mother, who also has seven great-grandchildren, as “intelligent and good fun” adding: “She doesn’t like having presents because she says at her age she has everything she wants.

“So we gave a donation to Oxfam for its train a teacher scheme, because she used to be a teacher.”