Morecambe super-gran passes college course in psychology at age of 91

Two years ago, Barbara McInnes, who lives in Torrisholme, took up drumming and went on to hone her skills with Chris Joyce, former drummer with Simply Red, who set up a school in the West End of Morecambe.

And last year the former Heysham High drama teacher joined Joanna Lumley as a pin-up for £4 beauty cream Astral.

Barbara also plays ukulele with Morecambe Ukulele Club, and is remembered locally for her enthusiastic support for her granddaughter Polly Swann as she won a silver medal in rowing at the Rio Olympics, which gained wide media attention.

Barbara has now achieved her Certificate in Psychology Level 2 at Lancaster & Morecambe College after embracing a renewed zest for life.

She said: “After retiring, life was great for a while until I got bored. I saw an advert for a part time cooking courses at Lancaster & Morecambe College and, at the age of 70, decided to enrol. My mother had been a confectioner and a great cook, so I thought it was appropriate to follow in her footsteps and see what I could do!

“Last year, at the age of 90, the learning bug got me again. I am a drummer, which is very physical and satisfying in many ways, but I felt I needed some intellectual stimulation.”

Barbara enrolled at the college in 2003 onto a part time Hospitality & Catering course, with Andy Hipwell as the tutor in charge.

She learned a great deal, both about cooking and about working alongside younger people, but unfortunately, she had to leave the course after one year when her late husband became ill.

Barbara’s diverse life experiences led her to enrol on our part time psychology course. She was driven by a desire to better understand human behaviour, thought processes, and the reasons behind our actions.

She described the course tutor, Laura Walker, as an “excellent tutor”.

Throughout the course, Barbara’s passion for learning continued to grow, and by the end of the programme, she was encouraged by Laura to consider progressing onto the cCriminology course, taught by Rachel Preston.

“This experience has been a real eye-opener for me, as the amount of knowledge I needed to learn was challenging,” Barbara said.

"However, once I'd added the final touches to my essay and poster, and submitted them, I started to think, ‘What next? My brain is still functioning…’

“The skills I have learned while being at Lancaster & Morecambe College include the science of cooking, how people tick, how I tick, and what makes humans tick.”

Barbara's biggest accomplishments whilst at college include everything from simply attending and stepping into a new environment, to meeting new people, learning new things, conducting research, and writing essays.