Instead, in keeping with the way she has lived her life - busy, and at breakneck speed - she and her husband Paul packed their bags for South America to visit the magnificent lost city of the Incas, Machu Picchu in Peru.

"I just love travelling. We've been to India every year for the past nine years, and we are going to Thailand in December, and have visited Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, island-hopped round Greece visiting the archaeological sites and lots of other countries," said Ruth, who grew up in Broughton Park, but now lives in Didsbury.

For a woman who loves to globetrot , it may seem surprising that her other great passion is rather more down to earth.

"I'm a frustrated social worker," she said.

But Ruth, who attends yoga classes and works out at Total Fitness in Wilmslow, has given her time for free as a volunteer for the past 46 years. And it all started with a spot of bingo.

"There was an old people's home near where I lived in Salford, which I used to visit, and I started to do the bingo-calling, and from there it turned into helping with the residents," she said.

Since then, Ruth has combined her voluntary work with full-time employment as a market researcher and bringing up a family.

She has two children - Steve, who sells advertising for Smooth FM in London, and Lisa - and two grandchildren.

As a member of the League of Jewish Women, Ruth has been a visitor to Christie Hospital for 28 years, where she does mostly manicures for women who have had chemotherapy and surgery.

"It's very important when they have lost their breasts or their hair to make them still feel feminine," said Ruth, who has twice been the chairperson of her local branch, Kingsway.

And for the past five years she has worked as a visitor with the Fed, which means doing home visits, shopping and other essential duties for elderly people who have no relatives or friends close by.

Because of her valuable work at Christie Hospital, Ruth was rewarded 10 years ago with an invite to the Buckingham Palace garden party celebrating 50 years of the NHS.

And for the 60th anniversary a couple of weeks ago, she attended the special celebration at Christie Hospital, with special guest Ivan Lewis, MP For Bury South and the Social Services Minister.

A few years ago, Ruth manned the tea-bar for free on Christmas Day at Wythenshawe Hospital.

When she's not being a volunteer, Ruth works five days a week in market research, making home calls, quizzing people in the street and holding focus groups.

At the moment she works for Mori, mostly polling the public on social, political and automotive affairs, and a few other organisations.

But at one time she was employed by 16 companies simultaneously, after originally joining the profession at Manchester Airport, where she asked passengers about their experiences of getting to the airport and the facilities.

"I'm scaling things down a bit now, though," she said, almost guiltily, "because I want to spend a bit more time doing the things I enjoy, such as travelling and 'social work'."

As well as market research, Ruth also had a spell selling cars.

"I went for an interview at the William Arnold garage to be a receptionist, but got a job instead as a saleswoman. I think I was one of the first lady car sales person in Manchester," she laughed.

For someone who is so busy and enthusiastic about life, Ruth admits to being a 'bag of nerves' a lot of the time.

"I get really worked up about big meetings and some visits, so that's why I do the yoga. I find it 'keeps me in the moment' and stops me worrying about things.

"And the workouts in the gym help beat the stress and keep me in shape, especially since the operation on my arm for tennis elbow.

"I've had golfer's elbow on the other arm, too, although I don't play golf - too much clipboard carrying."

She has been married to Paul - a season ticket holder at Manchester United who works in magnetic compounds - for 37 years, a romance that was kindled during her charity work.

"We met when we were on the same committee at that old people's home all those years ago, and I knew as soon as I met him that he was the one."

Ruth is saddened by the lack of younger volunteers coming through the ranks.

"The voluntary sector is dying out," she lamented. "Now the average age of voluntary workers is well over 45. The younger people don't want to do anything that doesn't get paid."

At which point Ruth muses on another thing she's like to do with her life.

"I love archaeology, and I'd have loved to have done some amateur archaeology," she says, "but just don't get me started on that BBC-1 TV archaeology series Bonekickers. Tripe."

And with that, Ruth is off to Wilmslow on another assignment - and it's still only 9.30 in the morning.