AN "incredible" fitness teacher who has just celebrated her 80th will carry on for as long as she has the energy.

Betty Urquhart takes a weekly two-hour class of the Fitness League, formerly the Women's League of Health and Beauty, at Stourport, for 40 members - as well as leading five other classes across the West Midlands.

She has also taken Stourport members, aged from their 30s upwards, to perform their "sequence of exercises" to music at London's Royal Albert Hall for the Queen and Second World War veterans numerous times.

Miss Urquhart, a trained teacher, is a firm believer in the league's "movement is life" motto and has led the Stourport class for 35 years.

"It deals with good posture and joint loosening," she said, adding: "It's not aerobics - aerobics is for younger women because of the pounding of feet."

And members enjoy social as well as physical benefits. "There's a good mix of people - it's somewhere women can go on their own."

Miss Urquhart added: "It's good for me as well. I've met other people in Stourport and made lots of life-long friendships."

She has no plans to relax just yet but will not let her standards slip.

"If I felt I was going off the boil I wouldn't continue. You still have to be an example."

Glenda Brown, 55, of The Grove, Stourport, has been going to classes for 40 years. She said: "I would think 75 per cent of all women in Stourport have attended Betty's classes at some time or another over the last 35 years."

Nearly 200 regional members organised a party for Miss Urquhart at Birmingham's Botanical Gardens. For further information about the Fitness League contact Mary Baulk on 01562 751101.