Babs, 90 is a hit on drums!

Great-gran learns new instrument with help of Manchester music star

- JON MACPHERSON & PAIGE OLDFIELD

A 90-YEAR-OLD great-grandma has been dubbed Britain's oldest female drummer after lessons from a Manchester music star.

Barbara McInnis says her new hobby has helped roll back the years thanks to her tutor Chris Joyce, who was the drummer in Simply Red from 1985 to 1991.

The retired head teacher admitted she wasn't familiar with the pop group when she first booked lessons with the famous percussionist six months ago.

But she's since been influenced by Chris's playing - whose work features on the band's hit singles Holding Back the Years and If You Don't Know Me By Now.

Widowed great-grandma-of-ten Barbara, who is now in three different groups, said drumming had brought "genuine joy" back into her life.

She said: "It's helped me roll back the years. It's given me a new lease of life, a new interest, which I think is good at my age. It's keeping me young.