TRIPE and Holland's pies are fuelling 83-year-old water baby Ada Gibson.

The fighting fit octogenarian has just completed a 22-mile charity swim - and traditional Lancashire food is helping spur her across the pool.

Ada, 83, who lives in Clayton-le-Moors, said: "I enjoy every minute and I think eating tripe has made me slip through the water, along with Holland's meat and potato pies."

Ada, who has been eating Holland's pies since she was five, said: "You can't have a nicer meal than one of their meat and potato pies with a little tin of garden peas.

"I love tripe as well with plenty of vinegar. It settles your stomach and is good for you.

"I don't go for all these pizzas and things. I like the Lancashire common food."

Since January the sprightly pensioner has clocked up a total of 1,892 lengths of Mercer Hall baths, Great Harwood.

This adds up to 22 miles in response to the Sharron Davies challenge to swim the length of the Channel Tunnel, and £54 for the Imperial Cancer Research Fund.

Ada said: "I would like to thank all the staff at the baths and to the people who I see on Sundays for the encouragement.

"It means such a lot and gives me that extra push."

Now she has her sights on even bigger fish for the Millennium.

For the Year 2000 Ada has her heart set on swimming 2,000 lengths if she can find someone to sponsor her for £2,000.

Ada said: "God sparing me I would love to raise that £2,000. It's only 40 lengths a week for a year."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.