'Daredevil' Leeds great gran set to celebrate 100th birthday on Christmas Day had wished for flying lesson

Mary Bell was still driving aged 98 and until recently enjoyed riding pillion on her son Michael's Harley Davidson motorbike.

Mrs Bell, who has two children, two grandchildren and two great grandchildren, had hoped to have her first flying lesson to celebrate her 100th birthday and spend time with her family.

Staff at Teal Beck House care home in Otley are planning to throw a Christmas birthday party for Mrs Bell and her son Michael will be allowed a window visit.

Mrs Bell's granddaughter Joanne Ward, 36, of Rawdon, said her grandmother has remained positive throughout the pandemic.

Joanne said: "She is a bit frustrated because she is still active and still young in her mind and wants to be out and about.

"But she understands what is going on so she is taking it on the chin."

Joanne added: "She is still very young at heart and liked to go on the back of my dad's motorbike.

"She has never been an old person, she has always been a bit of a daredevil.

"Her wish for her 100th birthday was to fly an aeroplane at Leeds Bradford Airport, which she would have done if it hadn't been for Covid.

"She is amazing because of how she gets on with life . She is just so determined to keep going.

" Before she went into Teal Beck she was still going for long walks, swimming, driving and going on holidays.

"She is a keen Scrabble player and taught all the family the tricks of the trade. She can still beat me at Scrabble now."

Mary Bell nee Goldthorpe, who was born on December 25 1920, is from the Blenheims area of Leeds city centre.

She met Ken Bell when they were both working at a munitions factory in Leeds during World War Two and the couple were married in Leeds in 1952.

Mrs Bell later worked as a hospital medical secretary at and her husband worked for the YEB

The couple, who lived in Woodhouse and Killingbeck, had been married for 53 years when Mr Bell died in 2005.

Mrs Bell later lived in Otley and volunteered at community centre The Courthouse Cafe in Otley.