A British woman who celebrated her 105th birthday this week said the secret to long life was celibacy, adding that she imagined sex was a “lot of hassle”.
Clara Meadmore, who marked her birthday with a drop of wine at the Perran Bay nursing home in Cornwall, south-west United Kingdom, also received a card from Queen Elizabeth II.
“People have asked me whether I am a homosexual, and the answer is no,” Meadmore said.
“I have just never been interested in sex.
“I imagine there is a lot of hassle involved and I have always been busy doing other things.”
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1903, Meadmore lived in Canada and New Zealand as a child before returning to Britain in her 20s to work as a secretary and housekeeper.
She served with the army in Egypt during World War II, and subsequently lived in London and New Zealand before retiring 40 years ago in Cornwall. — AFP