‘Staying single!’ the secret to long life.

Amy Hirst, resident at Belong Atherton, has celebrated her 103rd birthday with a special party organised by staff at the village, and credits “staying single” as the secret to her longevity.
Amy spent her special day surrounded by fellow residents and staff from Belong, and celebrated with a buffet and a cake provided by the village.
In her youth, Amy worked as a seamstress and was a keen dancer, and attended Margery Wright’s School of Dancing in Leigh for many years. She also loved to travel and has visited most of the countries in Europe, her favourites being Spain and Switzerland.
She playfully credits never marrying or having children as the secret to long life, and lived in her family home on Charles Street in Leigh until her late nineties, when she moved into full-time residential care. Amy moved into Belong Atherton in 2011, when the village opened, and is frequently visited by her nephew, Malcolm, and his wife Christine, as well as friends from the Leigh Baptist Church.
Gemma Willetts, Activity Co-ordinator at Belong Atherton, commented: “Amy is a wonderful character, and has a great sense of humour. She told us that sometimes, she doesn’t believe she’s 103, and it’s hard for us to believe, too! She’s a very sociable person and is always up for a laugh, so we were delighted to be able to do something special for her. Happy birthday, Amy, from everybody at Belong!”