Scottish woman, 100, shares the secret to her long life

A great-great-gran who has turned 100 says she eats porridge every day and advised the younger generation to ‘work hard and relax when you can’.

Janet Morgan, known to friends and family as Jenny, celebrated her 100th birthday on Tuesday and says she eats her porridge and applies face cream every morning.

She says she does not know the secret to her longevity, but advised others: “Work hard and relax when you can.”

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Jenny, who has three children, six grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren and six great-great grandchildren so far, grew up in Govan, Glasgow.

Janet Morgan who lives in Dalgety Bay, Fife, who has celebrated turning 100-years-old. Picture: SWNSJanet Morgan who lives in Dalgety Bay, Fife, who has celebrated turning 100-years-old. Picture: SWNS
Janet Morgan who lives in Dalgety Bay, Fife, who has celebrated turning 100-years-old. Picture: SWNS

She recalled washing her hair with eggs, in the hardships of the Depression and leaving school aged 14 to work in a chocolate factory.

Five years later, she married husband Bill, but although he survived the Second World War he died young, of a heart attack.

Jenny said: “Bill was the love of my life.

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“He died of a heart attack when he was just 44, and, strangely, my dad died exactly at the same age.

“We had our three children, Marion, Bill and Anne, during the six years he was at war.

“I had my hands full with three little ones and he was lucky to come through it, because his ship was torpedoed twice.

“I can’t remember as much now but what I do know is everything changes.

“We didn’t have a lot of money but we just got on with it.”

Now living in Dalgety Bay, Fife, Jenny has travelled as far afield as New Zealand and South Africa.

She said: “I don’t know where the time has gone.

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“If my mother was still here, she would be thinking she had arrived on a different planet.

“There have been so many changes.

“I don’t know what the secret is to making it to 100 but they do say, ‘work hard and relax when you can’.

“I’ve lived a very normal, happy life.”