A 100-year-old Northern woman has revealed that she believes the key to living a long life is not talking to “strange men”.
Olive Westerman celebrated a milestone that not many get to achieve this week – her 100th birthday.
The centenarian – who is a much-loved resident at Deewater Grange care home in Chester – was born in South Kirby in Yorkshire in 1923, and has lived a fulfilling life from starting out working as a nursery nurse for children during the war for nine months, before she met her husband Sam at the local church she’d been going to all her life.
Olive and Sam were married soon after meeting, and the lovebirds when on to share a “lifetime of happy memories” together before he sadly passed away.
The nature of Sam’s job as a clerk and a writer meant that the couple had the chance to travel all over the world.
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This even included them getting to call Singapore home for three years.
But despite everything she has been lucky to do in her lifetime, managing 100 laps around the sun is no doubt one of Olive’s biggest achievements, and so, the team of carers at Deewater Grange decided to go “above and beyond” to ensure she had a “celebration to remember”.
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As a lover of travel, Olive got to take a trip to Inglewood Manor in Ellesmere Port to celebrate her special day, and she was joined by all her fellow residents at the care home for something that she had never gotten the chance to experience before – a private “high tea”.
The home also continued the tradition that Olive’s late husband Sam began, and gifted her a bottle of Estee Lauder perfume on her birthday.
100-year-old Northern woman says the key to a long life is not talking to ‘strange men’ / Credit: Deewater Grange Care Home
“Everyone had a wonderful time celebrating Olive’s birthday, and she was particularly pleased to enjoy a very special afternoon tea,”
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“Here at Deewater Grange, we always strive to make an occasion of birthdays, and Olive’s 100th was no exception,” Sally Cooper, home manager at Deewater Grange, told Cheshire Live.
“Everyone had a wonderful time celebrating, and Olive was particularly pleased to enjoy a very special afternoon tea.
“Olive has been living at Deewater Grange for just over a year now, and the home simply wouldn’t be the same without her. Olive’s wonderful outlook on life never fails to make us smile and her quick wit definitely keeps us on our toes.”
But what exactly does Olive credit her long life to then? What is her secret?
Known at the home for her beaming smile and brilliant sense of humour, when asked this question, Olive comically responds: “Avoid talking to strange men, and you’ll be just fine.”
Featured Image – Deewater Grange Care Home
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Work begins on new £500m ‘culture hub’ with a cinema and performance spaces in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Work is finally beginning on a new £500 million culture hub in Manchester.
The first phase of plans to transform Wythenshawe Civic has entered an exciting new chapter, with Manchester City Council and placemaker Muse officially commencing construction of the new Culture Hub – which is tipped to provide a ‘major boost’ for budding artists, and creative groups and organisations in the area.
The hub is set to include space for food and drink on the ground floor, while the first floor is home to a mix of artist studio spaces and flexible areas for workshops, exhibitions, classes, and community events.
Locals can also expect a brand-new 40-seater cinema, which has been included following feedback given during a public consultation, and 200-seater performance space for a diverse range of performances.
Everything from dance and drama, to music and modern art will fill the performance spaces once the hub opens.
Expected to be completed in 2027, the Culture Hub sits within the first phase of a wider plan to ‘refresh’ Wythenshawe Civic, and will come to life thanks to £20 million of funding from the UK Government and a further £11.9 million from the Council.
What Wythenshawe Civic Centre looks like currently, before being transformed / Credit: Wikipedia Commons
“Listening to local people over the last year and more, we know that Wythenshawe residents want more from their town centre – more things to do, opportunities to spend time in Civic and night time attractions that give the area a lift and attract visitors,” explained Cllr Bev Craig, who is the leader of Manchester City Council.
“This is the drive behind the Culture Hub – a place for local people with an interest in the arts to take part in creative activities, see a show, or enjoy the cinema space, right in the heart of their community.
“This is another exciting chapter in the transformation of Wythenshawe town centre.”
Joe Stockton, Development Director at Muse, called the construction of the new Culture Hub an ‘exciting moment’ for Wythenshawe.
He added: “Our aim is to create a space for the town’s talented artists and creatives to come together and give them the facilities and the space they’ve asked for, to put on amazing shows, live performances, and workshops.
“It’s all part of the wider plan to create opportunities for residents, new homes and jobs, as well as a thriving high street for people to spend time in.”
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
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Police launch investigation after man found ‘injured and unresponsive’ in Manchester road
Emily Sergeant
A police investigation has been launched after a man was found ‘injured and unresponsive’ in the middle of a road in Manchester.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) was called out Plymouth Grove, in the Longsight area of Manchester, at around 9pm this past Friday (30 January), and when they arrived at the scene, found a 61-year-old man lying in the road.
After being found ‘unresponsive’, the man was immediately taken to hospital, where he is currently being treated for head injuries.
At this time, it is currently unknown how than man came to be in the road.
With so many questions left to answer, and a police investigation now underway being led by GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, officers are now urgently appealing to the public for witnesses and information.
“We have an open mind as we investigate how this man became to be injured,” explained PC Megan Stockton in the appeal. “However, there is the possibility he was struck by a vehicle.
“We are appealing for anyone who may have been in the area at the time, particularly anybody who may have dashcam footage taken in the area on Friday night.”
Can you help? If you have any information that could assist GMP’s investigation, then please contact police on 0161 856 4741, quoting incident number 3421 of 30/01/26, or by calling 101 or using the LiveChat at www.gmp.police.uk.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Emily Sergeant -
20th January 2023 
