Chatty and full of life... Frances so happy at 100

BIRTHDAY girl . . . Frances Fitton

FRANCES Fitton says she's always been happy ­- and she's positively beaming now that she's celebrating a milestone birthday.

Grandmother Frances turns 100 tomorrow and will be having a party at Dryclough Manor in Royton.

She has lived at the Shaw Road nursing home for a year.

Frances (nee Barnes) was born in Moorside and had one sister and three brothers.

One of her brothers was Hilbert Barnes, who played football for Oldham Athletic, as well as cricket in Shaw.

Bakery

The family moved to Shaw where they had their own bakery ­- Frances worked in the shop until she got married.

When she was 16 she met bricklayer Neville Fitton, who also played the drums in a dance band.

They had to wait until Frances turned 20 before they could get married and they were together for 50 years until Neville died.

The couple had a son, Geoffrey, and two grandchildren ­- Justine and Victor.

Frances said: "I've always been happy. I loved cooking and used to go dancing sometimes.

"Neville was a good working lad from a church-going family."

When asked for the secret to a long life, Frances joked: "I don't want a long life!"

Wendy Shuttleworth, the care home's activities co-ordinator, added: "She's lovely, bubbly, chatty and she's always telling us a lot about her life."