HAILED as "amazing" by carers, 103--year-old Ethel Hunsworth continues to astound everyone with her astute memory and intelligence.

Born in Leigh in 1899, Ethel grew up in Leigh Road with her brother Fred and sister Doris.

After teaching French and Latin at an Isle of Man boarding school for 31 years she returned to the house where she grew up. She lived there until five years ago when she moved across town to High Peak Lodge in Bedford Square.

Popular Ethel, who still receives letters from former pupils of the mixed grammar school she taught at, studied at Manchester University and in 1921 gained a degree in French.

Ethel has experienced numerous changes in the local area throughout her long life, and although she believes they are mainly for the better, is concerned that fewer people go to church now.

She recalled: "When I was a child I went to Sunday School with an old lady who's ambition was to get 100 children in at once, but she never managed it because there was always someone off with whooping cough, measles or scarlet fever."

Ethel's passion in life is reading, and although now partially sighted and hard of hearing, she still manages to enjoy her favourite humorous books on cassette. She also entertains fellow High Peak residents and staff with her sense of humour and poetry recitals and plans to do so for a few more years yet.