Children help open home’s chicken run

Photo: Anthony Miller

Fitting tribute: Max Durston and Lois Winterbottom from Watersheddings Primary School hold a picture of best friends Annie Walsh and Ivy Turner as they officially open the chicken-run tribute.

Hen-picked tribute to animal-lover Annie
A BROOD of feathered friends are keeping the memory alive of a much-loved carehome resident.

Staff at the Avonleigh Gardens Care Home in Watersheddings, hatched the idea of creating a chicken pen within the grounds as a tribute to Annie Walsh.

Mrs Walsh died in February and would have turned 100 last week.

Her death made front-page news in the Oldham Chronicle when she and lifelong friend Ivy Turner died within a week, both just short of their century.

Annie was passionate about animals, so with this in mind staff incubated chicken eggs, had a straw-lined pen built and hatched five little balls of fluff.

Manager of the home, Yvonne Reilly-Cooper, said of th chicks: “Annie loved animals and was such a fun-loving lady. Residents are really enjoying seeing them grow and helping feed them and we are planning to sell eggs they lay.”

Residents joined forces with children from Watersheddings Primary School, holding a picture of Annie and best friend Ivy to officially open the pen.


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