Meet the grandmother-of-11 Tom Jones superfan who attended Halifax gig at the age of 89

This die-hard Tom Jones fan had "an absolute blast" when she saw the Welsh crooner perform for the seventh time in Halifax - at the age of 89.
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Sheila Sugden, who sleeps with a cut out of the ‘Delilah’ singer in her bedroom, was left stunned after her granddaughter, Lori Walker, got her the ticket to the concert at The Piece Hall.

And the superfan went to the gig armed with a sign reading: “I’m 89 and still your No. 1 fan! Love you Tom.”

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The pensioner, who has 11 grandchildren, first began bopping to the Tom Jones's music in 1965 after he stormed the charts with his first hit single 'It's Not Unusual'.

Tom Jones superfan Sheila Sugden (SWNS)Tom Jones superfan Sheila Sugden (SWNS)
Tom Jones superfan Sheila Sugden (SWNS)

Lori, 25 and from Halifax, said Sheila had an “absolutely blast” at her most recent concert after a group of ladies got her to the front of the stage.

In particular, as the pop singer began belting out her favourite tracks - including ‘Green Green Grass of Home' - Lori said Sheila's face was full of “pure joy”.

She said: “I’ve never seen anyone’s face with so much pure joy. It was absolutely beautiful. She had an absolute blast.

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"I couldn’t even look at Tom Jones, I was looking at my nan the whole way through, but she loved ‘Green Grass’, ‘Sex bomb’ and ‘Pussy Cat’.

Sheila Sugden with her granddaughter Lori Walker (SWNS)Sheila Sugden with her granddaughter Lori Walker (SWNS)
Sheila Sugden with her granddaughter Lori Walker (SWNS)

“Everyone there was looking at the sign, and just kept on saying, “Can we take a picture of you and your nan? That’s amazing!'

“It was just really, really beautiful. It was a phenomenal night, and my nan had an amazing time.”

Sheila thanked her granddaughter for getting her to the concert and said seeing Tom Jones perform again was "a dream come true".

She said: "Seeing my man, Tom, was a dream come true.

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"He sang some lovely songs, and it made my night, and my granddaughter made all this possible. I enjoyed every minute of it."

Professional dog trainer, Lori, gave the £65 ticket to her grandmother as a surprise Christmas gift with her 15-year-old sister, Tash Palmer.

She arranged a Tom Jones-themed 85th birthday party for Sheila, who’s been a fan of the legendary singer for over 57 years.

But her nan was particularly touched by the Christmas present.

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Lori explained: “I popped a piece of paper in a Christmas card, and I just wrote 'Merry Christmas! Your Christmas present is to see Tom Jones - but not until July!'

“It was a really, really nice surprise for her. She was in tears. It was such a sweet reaction."

Lori said Sheila spent the following six months counting down the days until the concert at The Piece Hall

When the special day arrived, she gave her nan a full makeover.

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Lori said: “She came over to my house, and I gave her a make-over and did her hair and make-up.I popped her in her outfit, and she looked a million dollars.

"I just wanted her to feel great going to see ‘her man’ Tom Jones, as she calls him.

Lori said Sheila soon became a hit with other concert-goers after they spotted the hand-made sign that she’d made for her grandmother to hold.

She said: “We met these lovely ladies, and they said come on, we’ll help you get to the front with your nan.

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“Then they just said to everybody, ‘Excuse me, can you let this lady come through? Look at the sign! She wants to see Tom Jones, and she wants Tom Jones to see her sign'.

“During the concert everyone was like ‘Tom, Tom, look over here! Look at the sign’, and he said ‘I can’t see it, but whatever you’re all saying, the answer is yes!’

“He pointed in her direction. Bless him, he’s 82 himself, and I really don’t think he could see the sign, but he kind of acknowledged what everyone was screaming at.”

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