“Greetings Ethel my dearest. And a very Happy Birthday too. You are truly ‘The top lady of the day’. A real darling. I raise a glass and wish you joy today. God bless you Ethel! Lots of love from Wales. Owen Filer. 106 years old very soon xxxxx”
Ethel Caterham, 116, is the oldest person in the world, and that was the Happy Birthday message she was sent by Cwmbran’s Owen Filer, also known as Wales’ oldest known man.
She celebrated her record-breaking birthday last Thursday at a care home in Surrey.
The message was sent thanks to Ben Hinchliffe, the UK researcher for LongeviQuest, an organisation that researches and records the oldest living people in the world.
To mark Ethel’s special day, he asked Owen and several other centenarians, including the World’s oldest man (112), who lives in Brazil, to write her a message. Ben then made sure she received them to open on her birthday.
Ben said: “Knowing Owen marvels at Ethel being ten years older than him (quite some feat when you’re 105 yourself), I knew he’d be only too happy to send a personal wish from Wales’ oldest man to the UK’s (and world’s) oldest person. I wasn’t wrong, he quickly sent a wish to me via his son. It really is wonderful when fellow centenarians/ supercentenarians make contact.”