Leeds United fans help to send 150 cards to amazing Leeds woman celebrating her 103rd birthday
and live on Freeview channel 276
Gwen Keane was born in 1917 - the youngest of seven children - and lived a stone's throw from Elland Road for much of her life.
She only moved to the West Midlands from Moortown aged 97 to be closer to her daughter after the death of her husband, Geoffrey, in 2015.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdStaff at the home went the extra mile and put an appeal out online to the local community to try to get one card for each year of Gwen's long life.
But the appeal got shared among the Leeds United community too - which helped Gwen reach an incredible total of 145 cards on her birthday.
Gwen's daughter, Angela Watkinson, said: "Everyone was so kind to send them."
On the day itself (Wednesday, August 26), Gwen was given a red carpet entrance to her birthday party, complete with 103 balloons.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdHayley Wilkinson, general manager at the Barchester Healthcare home, came in specially to celebrate, with Angela donating 12 bottles of champagne.
Staff made sure some of Gwen's other favourite things were also part of the day.
A projector screen played messages from her family - as well as some from the stars from Strictly Come Dancing.
Local choir The Firebird Singers recorded versions of Happy Birthday and We'll Meet Again, as the late Vera Lynn is Gwen's favourite singer.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdGwen said after the event: “I loved every minute of my party - I felt like a princess."
Her daughter Angela said that Leeds United were a big part of the family's life growing up.
But she explained that her mother did not go to games, as she did not consider football matches an appropriate place for a woman all those decades ago.
However, she always followed the Whites and has fond memories of glory days gone by.
Gwen married Geoffrey in 1951 and had two children.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAngela added: "Before this, she worked a personal assistant in an office but gave it up as many women did in those days when she married.
"Her life was then devoted to caring for my brother and myself, and her mother who was in her eighties by then and lived with us.
"Mum loved to socialise and help people - she did some voluntary work, was active in the Townswomen’s Guild and was always on hand to help out neighbours or family who needed anything.
"She never learnt to drive but would get on a bus, train or walk to wherever she needed to get to whether that was a day trip out with friends, a weekly trip to the hairdresser, shopping expeditions or to see a relative.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"In her sixties she started going to keep fit classes, she swam and tried out line dancing."
Gwen and her son moved from Leeds to Balsall Common in 2015 so that Angela could look after them both.
Angela added: "But even then she was still very independent.
"She moved to Harper Fields in 2019 where not even a broken hip following a fall has kept her still - she’s on the go the whole time.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"Keeping busy and active has kept her going, along with the odd glass of sherry!"
*************************
A message from the Editor:
Leeds has a fantastic story to tell - and the Yorkshire Evening Post has been rooted firmly at the heart of telling the stories of our city since 1890. We believe in ourselves and hope you believe in us too. We need your support to help ensure we can continue to be at the heart of life in Leeds.
Subscribe to our website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe. For more details on our newspaper subscription offers click here.
Thank you
Laura Collins
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.