A 91-YEAR-OLD has become the oldest patient in the region to be given the gift of hearing after enduring three decades of silence.

Charles Holden is the oldest patient at the Yorkshire Auditory Implant Service to have the procedure and one of the oldest in the country.

The Ilkley grandfather had an operation at Bradford Royal Infirmary to embed a magnet in his head, which allows his cochlear implant to work.

Mr Holden, from Ash Street, puts his hearing loss down to the noisy machinery in the mills where he was once was a velvet and carpet weaver.

He said the electronic device, which was fitted in September, has changed his life.

It means he can order his own tipple at the pub, have a chat over the bar and enjoy his favourite detective television shows without relying on subtitles.

And because he can hear himself speak he does not have to shout anymore, which has stopped his throat hurting too.

He can hear the wind outside, the birds sing and people knocking at his door instead of relying on spotting a flashing bell. Even hearing the traffic rushing past his door is a joy, he said!

Because of his age, Mr Holden, who had given up hope of ever hearing properly again, had to be given a local anaesthetic rather than a general for the procedure, and surgeons communicated with him using flash cards.

He said: "It's unbelievable the difference it has made.

"They were beggars, they were drilling my head, they just kept showing me these cards saying keep still, keep still. I wasn't going to move anywhere!"

Surgeon, Profesor Chris Raine, said the operation was very straight-forward and went without a hitch.

He added: "He is really flying and has adjusted extremely well to the hearing world again.

"He is very motivated and it is a delight to see how the implant is helping him to maintain his independence. He loves going out on to the bus these days as he can talk to people around him, something he couldn’t do before his operation.

"He is a classic example of how people seize life when they get a second chance at hearing."

Widower Mr Holden added: "I'll be 92 next month and I've already had a good fling at life. There's lots of things I could do again now I can hear – the only thing that's holding me back is not having enough money!"

The Yorkshire Auditory Implant Service at the Listening for Life Centre celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and has given more than 940 people the gift of hearing so far.

Patients come from across the whole of the north of England. The youngest cochlear implant patient has been just six months old.

The implant is an electronic device that does the work of damaged parts of the inner ear to provide sound signals to the brain.