BUSY bee Ada Hilton celebrated her 101st birthday with a party on Tuesday.

Residents and staff of Alderwood Residential Home, Boothstown, toasted their "brilliant" old lady.

Ada, who initially went into the home for two weeks when it opened four years ago, while her family went on holiday to Scotland, refused to leave.

Manager, Lynda Johnson, said: "She's our oldest resident and she's brilliant, both mentally and physically. In fact I look older than she does!"

Ada, a native of Tyldesley, started work at Caleb Wright's mill at the age of 12, and until she moved to Boothstown lived in Hamilton Street, Atherton.

Her husband Harold was a foreman electrician with the council.

Ada claims that music, travel and swimming are the ingredients which helped her to reach her grand old age.

In her younger days she sang with Leigh and Bolton choral societies and taught life saving at Atherton Baths.

An Atherton Baptist Church member, Ada's youngest sister, Anne, lived to 96, and another sister, Olive Eaves, is now 96 and lives in Boothstown.

Her son, Tom, lives in Ellenbrook Road, Boothstown.

Lynda said: "Ada will still be here next year. She loves having her photograph taken."

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