A WINSFORD woman who’s mother said she would live reach her 100th birthday, celebrated the milestone last weekend.

Hilda, who turned 100 on Saturday, June 19, was joined by friends and family to for a tea party and dance at Hazelmere residential home, Winsford.

Shedding some secrets on longevity, Hilda puts her age down to plenty of exercise, cycling daily and swimming 30 lengths up until the age of 93.

A keen swimmer, Hilda often fell into trouble for joining the boys in the baths years before mixed bathing was introduced.

Her daughter, Anne, recalled a time when the pair visited a health club just a couple of years back and her mother was asked to take part in a swimming rally.

“There were objects at the bottom of the pool that you had to dive down and get, I’m a lousy swimmer but they asked my mum if she would come back the next day and join in. She did it and manged to pick everything up from the bottom of the pool.”

Born in Salford, Hilda lived in Manchester for 60 years, before moving to Hazelmere in October 2009.

She was the youngest of 11 children and survives all her siblings.

Her twin brother Frank, who emigrated to Australia, died at the age of 90.

After being widowed at just 40, Hilda went to work in a Manchester food factory.

She is the proud mother of two and has two and has three grandchildren and two great children – all of which are boys.

Joined by more than 100 guests at the party, Hilda has made several friends since moving to the town last year and lives life by the motto “agree with everybody and you can’t go wrong”.