Betty's advice for a long life? Enjoy yourself!

A LOVE of bacon and plenty of laughs is the secret to leading a long and happy life.

That's the view of centenarian Elizabeth Cope, who has celebrated reaching her 100th birthday.

Elizabeth, known to friends and family as Betty, sat proudly next to her card from the Queen at Rock Cottage Nursing Home in Brown Edge yesterday, where she has lived for the past year.

She said: "I don't feel like I'm 100.

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"I've always enjoyed myself and had fun and lots of laughter.

"The key is to eat bacon, cheese and tomato, and the bacon has to be crispy.

"I've never really drank much either."

Born in Henry Street in Tunstall, Betty spent most of her life living in Jackfield Street, Burslem and went to Summerbank School in Tunstall.

She worked in the pottery industry at Booths Tunstall for many years and eventually became a gilder for the company.

Betty married her husband Stan in 1936 and they were together for 29 years before he died in 1965.

Although she never had children, Betty had a brother, Jim, and sister, Mary.

She outlived both as Jim died in 1990 and her sister passed away two years ago.

Staff, residents and Betty's nephew celebrated her milestone achievement by having a party in her honour at the care home.

Margaret Kirkham, manager at the care home, said: "Betty came to us around 12 months ago.

"She is a lovely lady and is very fit and able to do things by herself.

"Although she's reached 100 years old, she's actually the third oldest person we have at the home.

"We have two other residents who are 102 and 105 and people often joke that there must be something in the water in Brown Edge.

"Reaching 100 is a great achievement and we are all very proud of Betty."

Nephew Allan Powell, aged 70, who lives in Suffolk, is Betty's only living relative in the UK.

He said: "Betty has always been a very determined lady.

"She's very independent and had lived on her own up to the age of 98, since her husband died in 1965.

"She was moved into a home when she had a fall aged 98 and then she moved to Rock Cottage when she was 99 and has been there since.

"Reaching 100 is a fantastic achievement and we had a very good turnout at the home to celebrate her birthday."