Frances Shares Secret to Longevity on Her 100th Birthday

A new centenarian has shared what she believes is – and isn’t – the secret to a long and happy existence. Having recently reached the momentous birthday milestone, Frances Waldek, resident at Didsbury care village, Belong Morris Feinmann, says it’s all down to your outlook and keeping engaged with life.

After an afternoon of joyous celebration, accompanied by friends and family and surrounded with flowers, 100th birthday banners and balloons, Frances declared: “Perhaps it’s the fact that I’ve always been positive and kept mentally and physically active – it’s probably not the smoking and all the G&Ts!”

Born in Vienna, Austria, to a close-knit, middle class Jewish family, Frances Lustig was brought into a world on the brink of a second world war. She excelled at school, especially in languages and the arts and was looking forward to higher education. Sadly, Hitler and the Anschluss – the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany – put an end to this and, along with her parents and sister, she emigrated to Britain in 1938.

On her big day, Frances and the village residents enjoyed the musical talents of her pianist daughter-in-law, Joan, who entertained alongside violinist, Maurice, and cellist, Jeff, before the serving of birthday cake and presentation of her birthday card from Her Majesty The Queen.

Commenting on the landmark occasion, Carolyn Ball, general manager at Belong Morris Feinmann, said:
“We’re honoured to have shared Frances’s special day with her. She has been part of the family here for a number of years and the team worked hard to make it her best birthday yet – congratulations, Frances!”