Talking newspaper founder Joy Killip makes 100th birthday vow

Joy Killip spends all week collating newspaper clippings to record

A woman who co-founded a talking newspaper for blind people has promised to continue reading the news for as long as possible as she celebrated her 100th birthday.

Joy Killip made her vow at a surprise party thrown by friends and colleagues from the charity N-Vision in Blackpool.

She has volunteered at the organisation since 1966 and started the newspaper service with her husband Don in 1977.

She said loved the work, adding: "I live, eat and breathe Talking News."

The charity said the couple launched the newspaper with the aim of understanding what it must be like to live in darkness and tried to imagine what information those people would need.

A representative said the service began with readings from Blackpool Gazette and the first version of the service was recorded on a tape recorder at the couple's home.

They added that about 50 volunteers now produced about 10 hours of audio in a studio every week, with their efforts being sent to more than 200 people on memory sticks.

Colleagues in awe

Mrs Killip, who still devotes many hours a week to the project, said it was the listeners who kept her going "because they are all so nice and so appreciate what we do".

She said it took her "all week" to produce, as she spent hours "cutting bits of newspaper people might enjoy hearing".

"I love it; it keeps me alive," she said.

"I live, eat and breathe Talking News.

"I'll volunteer as long as I can crawl here."

Mrs Killip said she likes to "put my make-up on in the morning and kid myself I'm only 90"

She added that while she enjoyed celebrating her birthday, she did not feel like she was 100, and her only concession to her age was to use a magnifier when reading out the clippings.

"I suppose I could be like a lot of people and feel 100, but I put my make-up on in the morning and kid myself I'm only 90," she said.

Fellow volunteer Ray Wilson said her colleagues were constantly in awe of her.

"She amazes me more and more as time goes by," he said.

"She only gave up driving a month ago."