AS Glasgow marked the start of a new decade yesterday, one woman had much more to celebrate than just the new year.

Agnes Westwood turned an incredible 106 yesterday – making her the second oldest person in Glasgow – and as many nurse their hangovers, it may not be surprising what one of her secrets to a long life is.

“I never drank alcohol, never touched it. When I was young, we would go out dancing in halls where the men would play whist. They brought all these tables in, then it would become a dance.

“But I never ever drank, we couldn’t afford it so I never drank it.”

Born on January 1, 1914, Agnes stayed in Parkhead for most of her life, beginning a lifelong love affair with the area.

“Parkhead, that’s where I’m from. A lot of good memories there. I can’t remember the name of my street but I remember staying there and it was a good time, I loved it. I would love to go back and visit one day.”

She fondly remembers her summer holidays, when her parents would take her and her sister to Rothesay and Blackpool.

“My mum and dad took us to Rothesay, but I didn’t like it much. I liked sand and none of the beaches in Rothesay have sand.

“I love Blackpool though, those beaches had sand! Blackpool was my favourite, is it still popular?”

As a young woman, she worked as a book binder in the East End of the city, something which has stuck with her for many years since.

“The books would come in, just the pages, and I would paste the boards on the front and back and bind the books, every day.

“I could still do it today, pasting and binding the books. The pay wasn’t great and sometimes you would have to lug the books up the hill but I’d still do it today.”

But for Agnes, her real passion was bowling, perfecting her technique at Tollcross Bowling Club as a young woman.

“I used to love the bowls. I played a lot when I was younger and, you know, I won.

“I was a great bowler and I played most of my life, from when I was young I won to even in here.”

“There was one time when I had won and we were supposed to get our picture taken. We came into the room and there were these three women with big hats sitting in the chairs we were meant to be in. They wouldn’t move and when I told my mum, she said that they must’ve been the councillor’s wives!”

Living through both World War One and World War Two also brings its fair share of memories to her, especially those with her daughter, Nan.

“I remember Clydebank. I remember when Clydebank was being bombed.

“I was at Nan’s primary school with another parent at the school gate. There was a close across the road and we went across and the people that lived in there let us in with the children to make sure we were safe.”

With her 100th and 105th birthday, Agnes received her Queen’s letter, and as she received her third yesterday she remained as down to earth as ever.

“Is that the Queen? What’s she doing writing to me?”

And now, as Agnes witnesses her eleventh decade, her heart still remains young, along with her love for her childhood home.

“It’s this old age, I just cannae be doing with this old age. But I’d love to go back to Parkhead, I grew up there and my family started there, it was a great place with a lot of memories and I loved it.”