Ethel Caterham has celebrated an extraordinary milestone, becoming the first British person ever recorded to reach the age of 117.
Born in Hampshire on 21 August 1909, Ethel has lived through more than a century of extraordinary change — and is now recognised as the world’s oldest living person.
Her remarkable life has taken her far beyond Britain. At just 18, Ethel travelled alone by ship to India, where she worked as a nanny for a British family before returning home several years later.
She married her husband Norman in 1933, and his career with the British Army later took the couple to Gibraltar and Hong Kong. While living in Hong Kong, Ethel established a nursery where she taught English, games and crafts to local and British children.
Back in Britain, Ethel continued to embrace life with an independence that seems to have stayed with her throughout her remarkable years. Following her husband’s death, she learned to drive at the age of 67 — and continued driving until she was 97. She also took up bridge and remained an enthusiastic player well into her centenarian years.
Even at 110, Ethel demonstrated her resilience when she contracted Covid-19 and recovered.
For her 117th birthday, celebrations were deliberately relaxed, with afternoon tea, cake, family and friends — along with music from a Frank Sinatra tribute singer.
Asked over the years about the secret to her extraordinary longevity, Ethel has never claimed to have a magic formula. Her approach has been refreshingly straightforward: enjoy life, take things in moderation and get on with it.
After 117 years, that philosophy seems to have served her rather well.
Happy 117th birthday, Ethel! 🎂
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