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| Centenarian celebrates with £25k | Centenarian celebrates with £25k |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A man who bet £100 a decade ago that he would live to be 100 is celebrating his birthday with a cheque for £25,000. | A man who bet £100 a decade ago that he would live to be 100 is celebrating his birthday with a cheque for £25,000. |
| Alec Holden, from Epsom in Surrey, is picking up his winnings from bookmaker William Hill, which gave him odds of 250/1 that he would reach his century. | Alec Holden, from Epsom in Surrey, is picking up his winnings from bookmaker William Hill, which gave him odds of 250/1 that he would reach his century. |
| The retired engineer, born on 24 April 1907, joked he had been "very careful" about what he had been doing recently. | The retired engineer, born on 24 April 1907, joked he had been "very careful" about what he had been doing recently. |
| Mr Holden, who also used to work as a teacher and a carpenter, plans to take some friends to a hotel to celebrate. | Mr Holden, who also used to work as a teacher and a carpenter, plans to take some friends to a hotel to celebrate. |
| These age wagers are starting to cost us a fortune and from now on we are going to push out the age to 110 Rupert Adams, William Hill | These age wagers are starting to cost us a fortune and from now on we are going to push out the age to 110 Rupert Adams, William Hill |
| He placed the bet on 10 December 1997, when he was aged 90, with the thought that he "would live forever". | |
| Mr Holden, who has two sons aged 70 and 60, puts his longevity down to porridge for breakfast and "remembering to keep breathing". | Mr Holden, who has two sons aged 70 and 60, puts his longevity down to porridge for breakfast and "remembering to keep breathing". |
| He said it was also important not to worry about anything, do as little work as possible, and go on lots of holidays. | |
| He also plays chess every day, running a local club. | He also plays chess every day, running a local club. |
| He said in recent months he had been keeping watch for "any hooded groups from William Hill standing in the street", so that he could avoid them. | He said in recent months he had been keeping watch for "any hooded groups from William Hill standing in the street", so that he could avoid them. |
| He also said he had already received his birthday card from the Queen. | He also said he had already received his birthday card from the Queen. |
| 'Mythical landmark' | 'Mythical landmark' |
| "In fact, I think I saw her delivering it on her bicycle," he joked. | "In fact, I think I saw her delivering it on her bicycle," he joked. |
| Bookmakers William Hill said they had now raised the target age for bets from 100 to 110. | Bookmakers William Hill said they had now raised the target age for bets from 100 to 110. |
| Spokesman Rupert Adams explained: "When we started taking these bets, 100 years old seemed to be an almost mythical landmark and we were prepared to offer massive odds. | Spokesman Rupert Adams explained: "When we started taking these bets, 100 years old seemed to be an almost mythical landmark and we were prepared to offer massive odds. |
| "But these age wagers are starting to cost us a fortune and from now on we are going to push out the age to 110." | "But these age wagers are starting to cost us a fortune and from now on we are going to push out the age to 110." |
| However, he added: "I am sure that Alec will get more pleasure from our letter than he will from the Queen's." | However, he added: "I am sure that Alec will get more pleasure from our letter than he will from the Queen's." |
| The bookmaker has now paid out three times on the same type of bet. | The bookmaker has now paid out three times on the same type of bet. |
| The two others were Rosalyn Strover, from Suffolk, in November 2004, and Arthur Best, from Cheltenham, in January 2005. | The two others were Rosalyn Strover, from Suffolk, in November 2004, and Arthur Best, from Cheltenham, in January 2005. |