A 'shy' pensioner has proved new adventures don't have to stop just because you hit 70 after she landed a modelling contract and is now prepping for her first fashion show. Anne Flanagan, 70, was bored of the rat race and felt 'absorbed' by her corporate job . She spent most of her life working in the public sector, then the Northern Irish civil service, with multiple roles including a careers guidance officer, a social security officer and a corporate services director.
But when Anne, from Belfast, retired, her daughters, Julie, 40, and Ciara, 37, encouraged her to do something a little 'more fun' with her spare time, so she volunteered in a nursing home a couple of days a week. However, when a stranger approached her on the street asking if he could take a photograph of her - her career took a wild turn. Earlier this year, Anne was approached by photographer Christopher Ward while out shopping in Belfast.
Ward runs the popular Instagram page Model Strangers, where he uploads snaps of randomers he comes across on his travels. When Anne's pictures went viral - she was quickly snapped up by a modelling agency and asked to pose for a local clothing brand. "That particular day, I walked into town with my husband," she recalled.
"He's more of a walker, but I wanted to have a quick look at the shops and go home. I saw someone coming towards me with a camera. If I see anyone who looks like a tourist in Belfast, I'm over to help them.
I thought Chris was just a tourist, looking for .