I was a retired civil servant who never modelled but I’ll soon be walking the catwalk – it’s not over when you hit 70
AN IRISH OAP who says she spent her life with low self-esteem will soon be seen strutting down the catwalk after being snapped up by a modelling agency.
Belfast woman Anne Flanagan, 70, worked as a civil servant until her retirement and had never modelled before.
But after a chance meeting with a photographer in Belfast, she found her confidence – and was quickly snapped up by a modeling agency, a clothing brand and a shopping centre fashion show.
Now, Anne gets recognised in the street – and other pensioners have told her she’s “empowering women over 70”.
Anne said: “I’ve never modelled anything – even so much as a scarf in my life. The photos taken of me give me a boost.
“I was always shy, and always will be – but my modelling pictures make me smile.
“I’m happy in how I look. If I’m able to represent older women, I’m thrilled with that.”
Anne spent her life working in the public sector, then the Northern Irish civil service.
She’s been a careers guidance officer, a social security officer and a corporate services director.
When not working, she spent her life raising her two daughters, Julie, 40, and Ciara, 37, alongside her husband, Leo, 78.
She explained: “After I retired, my daughters said I should be doing something a bit more fun in my life. I volunteer in a nursing home, twice a week.
“For my first couple of years in retirement, I was looking after my dad – which I was thrilled to do.
“Ciara said she’d sign me up for some extras work. I said I wouldn’t want to do that – I’m quite a shy person.
“But she persuaded me to give it a lash.”
Anne retired from the civil service in 2015, at 61, and has been working as an extra on-and-off for nine years.
In January 2024, she was approached by photographer Christopher Ward while out shopping in Belfast.
Viral hit
He runs the Instagram page Model Strangers and stopped her to take her picture and hear her backstory and the post went viral.
She said: “That particular day, I walked into town with my husband.
“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 some directions. But when he approached me, he told me what he did.”
New work
Christopher asked Anne if he could take some photos – and once he showed her his Instagram account, she said yes.
Once he posted them to his account, Anne noticed that it received a number of comments on how empowering each picture was.
Soon, she started being recognised on the street.
Anne said: “I was stopped in a coffee shop. This lady said, ‘are you Anne?’ She told me I’d brought a smile to her face.
“For some people who’ve spoken to me – they love seeing an older person being given a platform.”
Fashion shoot
In April, Anne was approached by Kindred of Ireland – a local boutique, and she modelled their clothes.
She explained: “The day of the shoot, I was walking along Royal Avenue in Belfast. I felt so sick, and so unprepared.
“I went along, and I was just myself – I enjoyed it enormously. That was my very first foray into this bizarre world.”
Her next modelling gig is set to be at the Victoria Square ‘Park and Stride’ fashion show, in autumn.
Anne says her favourite part about her new “career” is proving to herself that life doesn’t end at 70.
Life after 70
She said: “It’s not over as soon as you hit 70. All I did was give it my best shot.
“I’ve been absolutely overjoyed by the amount of older people who stop me and say things to me.
“They say it’s ‘great to see someone our age, who’s been spotted for standing out’.
“I just think it’s great that an older woman is getting so much good publicity.”