Dinkie Flowers from Shoreham visits House of Commons

Dinkie Flowers, who still teaches keep fit, said she thought Sir Lindsay Hoyle “was very light on his feet,” but advised: “He could benefit from pointing his toes a little more.”

The grandmother-of-four, from Shoreham, was introduced to the Speaker by her local MP Tim Loughton after she raised £2,500 for the NHS by doing 100 high kicks in the 100 days before her 100th birthday, which fell during the pandemic. 

Dinkie is a former international ice skater who danced for the Duke of Edinburgh in the Celebrity Ice Gala of 1952. 

She was unfazed by the prospect of teaching Sir Lindsay some moves. 

©UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor

She said: “He’s a lovely man and game for a laugh, so it was fun dancing together – after all, keeping your body moving is the best way to live a long life.

“My advice to everyone is: don’t sit on your bum all day; keep your shoulders back, your tummy in, do not slump around on a shopping trolley when you are buying food – it is not a Zimmer frame.”

Sir Lindsay said Dinkie’s words of wisdom should be heeded by all politicians. 

He said: “I cannot believe Dinkie’s energy – she is a one-woman dynamo, who not only got a few good steps out of me, but her one-liners are incredibly funny.”

Dinkie still teaches keep fit and dance to a 50-year-old former student who she first taught at the age of three when she ran Dinkie Flowers Stage School for Children.

©UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor

She exercises at her ballet barre every day and won the hearts of the British public when she tap danced her way into TV’s The Greatest Dancer – at the age of 98. 

Mr Loughton, MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, said: “Dinkie is a force to be reckoned with. 

“I cannot thank her enough for the work she has done for our community. Her relentless enthusiasm for life is a tonic for us all.”