Northwest’s Oldest Person Celebrates 112th Birthday in Formby
Officially the oldest person in the Northwest of England, and the fifth oldest person in the UK, Marjorie Hodnett Aylward, affectionately known as ‘Aunt Marj’ celebrated her 112th birthday yesterday (Wednesday 1 April 2026) at Formby Manor care home in Formby.
Still residing at Formby Manor on Liverpool Road in Formby, Merseyside, where she has been for the last six years, Aunt Marj is a much loved part of the resident family, and also the wider local community from, whom she has already received more than 200 birthday cards.
Her prestigious birthday card and message from The King was also received and displayed proudly alongside good wishes from people across the length and breadth of the UK.
Marjorie’s incredible milestone was celebrated in style with a small tea party filled with her favourite things and people; triangular cucumber sandwiches on brown bread with the crusts removed followed by Victoria Sponge cake, cups of tea and a small glass of sherry and accompanied by a short melody of her favourite songs sung by her relatives Maggie and Mandy.
Aunt Marj’s beautiful Madeira birthday cake was created in house by Formby Manor’s talented head chef and she enjoyed a slice before playing her favourite game ‘Who Am I?’ with the Lovett care team and other residents.
Aunt Marj has enjoyed a long and happy life. She was born in Harleston, London, before moving to Wembley. She met her first husband Stanley in 1939 at the Fellowship of Reconciliation and they married in 1941, living initially in Wembley before moving to Harrow after the war. Sadly, Stanley passed away in 1955 after 14 years of marriage, and in the following year Aunty Marj married Hugh (Stanley’s brother) who passed away in 1958 leaving Aunty Marj widowed for the second time at the age of 45.
Just before Hugh passed away, the couple had moved to Sidbury in Devon in 1956 where Aunty Marj was the school teacher of a reception class for 23 years. Some of Aunt Marj’s earliest memories are of air raids during WWI and while she was in school. She can also remember singing at the 1948 Olympics ceremony in London.
Marjorie has remained very active continuing to read, write poetry and paint and continues to take an interest in news and politics with her overriding motto being “look forward with hope and not backward with regret.”
She is an avid rugby fan, supporting Exeter Chiefs, and lives by her own five ‘rules’ which are the secret to her long and happy life. Aunt Marj said: “I really did not expect to get to 112 but am delighted to be here and have so much to celebrate. Life is for living and it is up to you to make the most of it. I believe that you should do all the good that you can, by all the means that you can, in all the ways that you can, in all the places that you can, to all the people that you can, as long as ever you can. Good rules to live by that are in my mind every day and if you aim to follow them you can’t go too far wrong.”
