Keen dancer Hilda keeps active at 105
AWOMAN from Bredbury, celebrated her 105th birthday on Sunday, May 16.
Hilda Hodgkinson nee Schofield was born in 1916 and grew up in Manchester.
She met her husband Kenneth Hodgkinson whilst they were both working at Dunlop Rubber.
The pair married in January 1940 during World War II when Kenneth was on a weeks leave from the army.
Hilda supported the war effort as a reserved occupation comptometer operator and also working two nights a week for the ambulance service as a first aider.
It would be another six and a half years before the couple set up home in Alkrington when Kenneth
returned from Germany.
Hilda and Kenneth moved to Harrisons Drive, Woodley, in 1959 and there celebrated their diamond anniversary.
After more than 52 years in Harrisons Drive, Hilda moved into a bungalow at Hayfield Avenue in Bredbury where she is a well-respected member of George Lane United Reformed Church.
Hilda is very proud to still live in her own home and is well-supported by a team of carers from Bridge Care Services, Marple.
The centenarian puts her long life down to keeping active, being a keen dancer all of her life, spending much of her youth dancing at the Ritz in Manchester.
Likewise, Hilda is a firm believer in enjoying everything in moderation “a little bit of what home you like won’t hurt” and up until more recent times treated herself to a weekly cream tea with friends.
In 2020, to honour Hilda’s 104 th birthday and to help entertain people during the first lockdown, the staff at her doctors of over 60 years, Alvanley Family Practice, held a virtual birthday quiz with 104 questions on their facebook page and hosted an online reminiscent singalong.
Luckily Hilda was able to enjoy a special take away afternoon tea from Starting Point Community Learning Partnership & Coffee Shop, a regular haunt pre-lockdown, thanks to Woodley & Bredbury Community Neighbours.
For this year’s milestone 105th birthday celebration, Hilda intended to spend some time in her garden with family and friends.