You ain’t seen nothing like the sprightly Quinn

TOP drawers act . . . that’s Len to his fans and friends

Len’s still all-singing, all-dancing at 90

LEN Quinn is proof that you are never to old to dazzle on the dance floor.

For the sprightly great-grandfather from Chadderton — who still does his Army exercises every morning — was jokingly showered with knickers by his female fans to celebrate his 90th birthday.

They are regulars at the social dance at Holy Family Church, Failsworth, which he has run for eight years, acting as DJ and compere.

“I like to see people happy, to bring a bit of happiness to people. They are all friends,” said Len who also enjoys dancing at Failsworth Community Centre and Ashton Town Hall.

His favourite is the slow foxtrot and he added: “I think it keeps you young. It keeps you fit and I still do my Army exercises every day before I have my breakfast.”

Len was born on November 15, 1919, the year after the end of the First World War.

He has always loved entertaining and his first job at 16 was as a page boy at Queens Park Hippodrome, Harpurhey, where the artists taught him to sing.

During the Second World War he was exempt from service as an account clerk at Avro’s, but signed up and served in Burma with the 18th Quebec 1759 battery.

He married his late wife, Doris, while on weekend leave and the couple moved from Blackley to Chadderton in 1972. They had two daughters, Joan (62) and Lesley (58), four grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Len finished his Army service with the war crime investigation team in Germany and then worked on the buses for 38 years, going from a conductor to an inspector.

He promoted and compered charity shows while Ralph Semple was mayor, and also sang on the BBC radio show “Phil Wood’s Five Minutes of Fame” eight years ago.

As for the secret of a long life? He said: “I do not abuse anything. I take everything in moderation. I do not smoke and I found out I am diabetic so I do not drink any more.”