AUNT Sally – the game, not the relative - could be the secret of a long healthy life according to Cotswold folk.

Ninety-year-old Arthur Cornish, a member of the Chipping Norton Aunty Sally League, turned 90 on Sunday (September 7) but he refuses to give his arm a rest.

The left hander has been throwing heavy sticks at a “dolly” for nearly 30 years, and will continue to do so while he remains fit and well.

Mr Cornish from Stourton, whose wife Mary died in 2009, said he loved the sport and the company. “It’s a good night out with friends and keeps me fit,” he said.

His team is based at the Farrier’s Arms in Todenham. Captain, Colin Winfield, said: “We believe Arthur is the oldest player ever to play in the Aunt Sally League. We have had players in their early 80’s but nobody has ever got to 90.”

Competitors have to hit a suspended coconut shape known as the dolly from a distance of 30ft without hitting the iron support to win points. Three leagues and 24 teams play the traditional English game in pubs and clubs all over the Cotswolds. More members are always welcome, especially young ones. For further details visit the club’s website at www.chippyauntsally.co.uk.