100-year-old woman says 'not speaking to strange men' is secret to a long and happy life
A 100-year-old woman claims to have the secret to a long life, and suggests that ‘not speaking to strange men’ is key if you want to get to her age.
To be fair, it’s a pretty sound piece of advice at any age.
Olive Westerman has been all around the world, travelling alongside her husband Sam, who worked as a writer and a travel clerk, living in Singapore for three of her hundred years.
That means that she’s had ample opportunity to shoot the breeze with a long list of very strange men, you’d have to imagine.
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However, not chatting to them is key – she says – if you want to stay alive into the triple figures.
Whilst Olive and Sam didn’t have any children, she did work as a nursery nurse over her career, and being around children is another thing she claims has kept her young.
Now, she’s celebrated her move into three digits with a birthday tea party at the care home she lives in, which included a present of a bottle of Estee Lauder perfume from the staff, a tradition started by her late husband.
Olive, from West Yorkshire, said: "Avoid talking to strange men and you’ll be just fine.
"I think that the best advice I could give is simply to be happy and content to be alive, and to make the most of what you have.
"Over the years I have spent a lot of time working with children, and this will certainly help to keep you young at heart!
"I actually can’t believe I’m now 100, but it feels amazing.
"I was absolutely thrilled to receive a card from King Charles and Camilla."
Olive must be one of the first to receive a card from the new king, so that’s definitely something to kick off the celebrations.
Her actual birthday was on January 16, and she celebrated it at Deewater Grange care home in Chester before heading off to a lovely afternoon tea at Inglewood Manor.
Despite her age, Olive is still well-known and highly-regarded for her wit and humour, as well as her love of travelling – even though she doesn’t get to do so much of it these days.
On her favourite place, she remarked: “I have spent some time living overseas and my favourite place to live was Singapore - I loved it there.
"It was such an interesting and exciting place to be, and so different from England."
As for how she came to meet Sam – and in turn set off on these adventures around the world – she explained: “Me and my husband met at the local church we used to attend every Sunday.
"We got chatting one day after mass and we hit it off immediately.
"What I loved about him most was his kind and gentle nature, and the fact he was always trying to help others."
Tom Wood