98-year-old Bongo’s Bingo megafan retires her dabber after hitting the bingo dance parties since she was 90

A 98-year-old Bongo’s Bingo megafan has retired her dabber after eight years of attending the high-energy, outrageous bingo sessions in her home town of Liverpool.

Anne Gandy, who lives in Walton, first learned of the bingo dance parties put on by the famous Bongo’s Bingo team through her granddaughter Sarah, and promptly booked herself in for a session for her 90th birthday.

Since then, she has been to more than 20 shows in eight years, and has now begrudgingly dabbed out her last line and celebrated her final bingo session on Saturday, September 27.

“I was 90 when I first went, my granddaughter was talking about it, and I said: ‘Well, I’ve booked to go there for my birthday!’,” Anne, who dedicated decades to working with youngsters in her local area and received her MBE for services to the community in Walton in 2007, told PA Real Life.

“So she took me and I’ve been going ever since.”

Anne loves Bongo’s Bingo because, she says, “all the people are so friendly, lovely”, and it also allows her to light up the dancefloor with her family.

“It’s just the atmosphere, and I just enjoy going back there,” she said.

“There’s not much else to do when you get to 98, so you might as well keep going to some things that you enjoyed.”

Bongo’s Bingo, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, is a high-octane, wild and energetic bingo party that’s made the game popular with younger generations, hen-dos and wild celebrations as an alternative night out.

There are impromptu dance-offs, glow sticks, dancing on tables and thumping music  – a far cry from the bingo halls one might expect a nonagenarian to frequent.

Since her 90th birthday, Anne has celebrated every birthday at Bongo’s Bingo, sipping on her beverage of choice of “a little drop of wine with lemonade” – she is not much of a drinker. However, she insists that she would take every opportunity to go: “If there’s anything special on the bingo, we’ll go,” she said. “Doesn’t have to be my birthday!”

She usually attended the Liverpool event, but did go to the Bongo’s Bingo hall in Blackpool with her friend on a holiday. When Bongo’s does not have an event on, Anne gets her bingo fix at local social bingo sessions such as a regular game at Walton Social Club – but it is the energetic and chaotic thrill of Bongo’s that she always looked forward to.

That said, Anne is not a particularly lucky bingo player. She has only won a prize once in all her sessions at Bongo’s Bingo – and that was at the very first party she went to.

“The first year I went, I won a mobility scooter, but I’ve never won since,” she said.

“Not that I’ve ever used it!” she laughed.

Anne is fiercely independent and does not take ageing lying down. Despite nearing 100 years old, she prefers not to use her wheelchair and is determined to keep dancing and having fun with her large family as long as she can.

At her final Bongo’s Bingo session, which was the matinee show on Saturday, September 27, Anne joined four generations of her family – her daughters Donna, Norma and Carole, her son-in-law Lee, granddaughter Sarah, grandson David, and great-grandson Bobby – for a raucous afternoon of bingo fun.

She was even welcomed onto the stage as a guest of honour and given some flowers and a card signed by all the staff, showing the impact her presence has had.

To mark her final visit, Anne read a poem on stage about getting older but still partying on, which she had also read on her first visit eight years ago.

“I believe one lady was crying,” she said.

“They were all very quiet when I was saying the poem. There were no interruptions or anything. Very good, really, for a place like that, which is full of young people, they stood and listened.”

Quoting a section of the poem she recited, Anne said: “When I was young, my slippers were red, and I could kick my heels way over my head. When I grew older, my slippers were blue, but I can still dance the whole night through.

“Now I’m old, my slippers are black, and I walk to the store and I puff my way back … I pick up the paper and I read the obits. If my name is missing, well, I know I’m not dead, so I have a good breakfast and go back to bed.”

While Anne’s age does not seem to hold her back from having all the fun she deserves, it is time for her to retire from Bongo’s Bingo with all its excitement, music and crazy prizes. It is fair to say that she will be missed by the Bongo’s crew as much as she will miss them – especially by Jonny Bongo and the team in Liverpool.

Summing up her last trip to Bongo’s Bingo, Anne said: “It was very good. I enjoyed it. I love the bingo.”