Is Luton's Margaret the world's most adventurous great-grandmother? | Luton Today

2022-07-30 15:32:16 By : Ms. Sarah Lin

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Her latest wheeze is even more jaw-dropping – a ride along a mile-long 500ft-high zipwire in Wales, an 80th birthday present from her family.

She has a fabulous video of herself – complete with helmet, goggles and a special suit, safely tied onto a security cradle – whizzing along with a serene smile on her face, seemingly not a care in the world.

She says: “The staff strapped in our arms at our sides, tucked in our legs and attached us to the harness.

“They sent us off four at a time with a Welsh cheer.

"It was absolutely marvellous, brilliant, perfect. I wasn’t really scared – I was determined to do it and kept my eyes open all the time to see everything.

"There was a camera on my helmet and it took one minute 26 seconds at 96mph.”

And she adds modestly: “I’m not the oldest person on a zipwire – the 87-year-old husband of a friend did it a couple of years ago.”

Margaret, who’s been widowed for 27 years, came to Luton from Ireland with her husband in 1964.

She worked at the Co-op (now the Galaxy) and played hockey at the Tech. She also loved to dance.

Her large family, which includes three sons and a daughter, nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, decided to make a weekend of it at Zip World in Penhyrn Quarry in Snowdonia.

Margaret says: “We hired three mobile homes and were there from Friday to Monday. We visited the caves and some of the younger ones did the trampoline-type jumps, which was great to watch.

"After the zip we paddled in the sea and the dog and children swam.

The kind-hearted senior citizen decided to use her experience to raise more than £800 to be split between Luton Irish Forum’s befriending service and Keech Hospice Care.

So what’s lined up next? She smiles and admits: “I don’t think I’ll risk any more big ones.”

- If you’d like to sponsor Margaret, go to https://gofund.me/5d9658dd