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North West woman, 108, says drinking red wine is secret to a long life
I’ll drink to that…
A woman celebrating her 108th birthday has credited a daily glass of red wine as the secret to her long life.
Julia Iverson marked the special occasion with a big birthday party at Brampton Lodge care home in Warrington, Cheshire, which was attended by family, staff and even the deputy mayor of Warrington.
Staff at the care home have described Julia as a ‘lovely and kind person’, while her daughter Roselyn Barclay said she is a ‘great supportive mum’ who enjoys singing and always has a positive outlook on life.
Brampton Lodge / Facebook
According to Julia, the secret to reaching the impressive age of 108 is a daily glass of red wine; she loves the tipple so much, in fact, that her carers joked how she always knows if her glasses of her favourite wine had been watered down.
Julia’s other favourite things aside from her daily glasses of vino are cups of tea and snack-pots of custard that her daughter brings with her on her visits.
Roselyn told the BBC that despite her age, her mother ‘still talks a lot and sets the subject of conversation’ and often reminisces about her childhood.
She added that Julia finds it ‘amazing how different life is now’ after recently learning about emails and comparing them to the telegrams she used to send.
Brampton Lodge / Facebook
Care home manager Debbie Davidson said Julia received ‘dozens’ of cards and greetings after she posted a message about her upcoming birthday onto Facebook.
She said: “Julia loves her birthday cards from the Queen and always comments on how nicely dressed she is on the card.”
Julia has tested positive for Covid twice, recovering both times after mild symptoms. It marked one of several pandemics she has lived through including the Spanish flu of 1918 and other outbreaks in the 1950s and ’60s.
She was born in Denmark in 1914 and served in Kenya in the Women’s Royal Naval Service in World War Two. She went on to have three daughters and five grandchildren.