COUNTRY and Western fan Gladys Stokes celebrated her 89th birthday with a themed party to raise money for charity. Eighty guests went along to West Walton Village Hall, many of them in country and western costume, and helped raise £420 for East Anglian Ai

COUNTRY and Western fan Gladys Stokes celebrated her 89th birthday with a themed party to raise money for charity.

Eighty guests went along to West Walton Village Hall, many of them in country and western costume, and helped raise £420 for East Anglian Air Ambulance.

Mrs Stokes of Cocketts Drive, Wisbech, goes along to a country and western club held at March BRAZA Club every Sunday afternoon. She invited Mark James, a regular and popular singer at the club to perform at her party.

She said: "I thought I might not reach 90 so I decided to have a big party and give the money to charity because I didn't want presents. If I do get to 90 I will just have to have another party."

Mrs Stokes is an enthusiastic knitter and raised a further £50 on Sunday when she sold knitted toys and dolls with knitted outfits at the BRAZA Club.

She also goes along to Rose Lodge in Wisbech to help organise bingo sessions each week. She recently spent three weeks at the Lodge after falling and breaking an arm and two bones in her foot.