ETHEL Worby will celebrate her milestone 102nd birthday today (Fri) but it won't interfere with her daily constitution.

Fiercely independent Ethel will mark her big day by getting up, dressing herself and walking around the grounds of the Walshaw Hall residential home in Tottington, where she has been a resident since 1996.

And instead of a big fanfare at the home to celebrate her 102nd birthday, she has elected instead to go out for lunch with close family.

She has lived in the Tottington and Harwood areas for most of her life and puts her longevity down to "country air" and "independence".

Ethel was the youngest of six children born to Thomas and Mavis Hopkinson. The family were good friends of the cotton mill-owning Kenyon family who lived in Walshaw Hall.

At the age of 23, she married Bert, an engineer, who died 42 years ago. The couple had no children.

Walshaw Hall residential home manager, Mrs Marilyn Bates said: "Ethel is still fiercely independent and strong-minded. She dresses herself and walks around the grounds each day. She attends residents' meetings and adds her voice.

"Even though she's 102, she did not want a big affair and will be going out with her family for lunch and spending the day with them. She is so nice."