ONE of Bolton’s oldest women says her greatest achievement was never getting married.

Constance Longworth, born in 1916, says there is no secret to long life: “There’s no secret, you’ve just got to live,” she declared on her 103rd birthday on Friday.

“My greatest achievement was never getting married. I never wanted to get married,” she said.

Constance spent her her entire life in Bolton and grew up at her parents’ house in Morris Green Lane.

She said: “Morris Green is still the same, although in my day you didn’t need to go to town because you could buy anything there.

“I just used to play around in the back streets with friends that were always round. I never wanted to leave.”

Educated at St Bede’s, Sunning Hill and finally the Church Institute, Ms Longworth said she studied every subject possible whilst at school.

She added: “I think my favourite subject was maths, but I really didn’t like stories. That was boring.”

After her education, she went on to spend all of working life with the Booth family, a coal merchant.

Constance retired way back in 1975, when Harold Wilson was Prime Minister and Bye Bye Baby by the Bay City Rollers was number one in the charts.

After her retirement Constance kept herself well by keeping active and having visits with family.

Marian Bond, second cousin to Ms Longworth, said: “When we lived in Moston, Connie used to get the bus from Bolton to see us. Then we used to visit Connie when she was on St. Helens Road. I was always accused of being naughty for ringing the bells on her mantel piece.”

Ms Longworth is now a resident at Grange Lea Residential Home, Grange Road, where yesterday, she celebrated her special day surrounded by family and friends.

Hilary Price, Constance Longworth’s second cousin, recalls memories of the birthday girl: “I always associate her with Christmas day because she was always at our house then.

“The whole family would be there together.”