STRABANE, UNITED KINGDOM:

"It's never too late to start a new hobby," says Noel Anderson, the 89-year-old Irish harp-maker and one of only a few crafting the intricate instrument — a national symbol of Ireland. A retired wood and metalwork teacher, Anderson only took up the niche craft seven years ago, making his first harp at the age of 82.

"It doesn't matter what age I am, really. I just pop out to the shed and work at it, sometimes for 10 minutes, sometimes for 10 hours," Anderson told AFP at his home in Strabane, 120 kilometres northwest of Belfast.

"I'll keep on doing it as long as I can," said the still sprightly, white-haired Anderson, who turns 90 this month. "I've always made things — furniture, bowls, birdhouses, this and that — but making harps has been special, one of the be

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