World's oldest living man at 111

When I was teaching nursing practicum recently, one of my students had a patient who was 97 years old and a man. He had JUST this winter hired out his snow shovelling - and given that we live in Canada and we are about 6 hours' drive from the border we get a fair bit of snow! Prior to this year he had been doing all of the shovelling HIMSELF!

My daughter’s husband’s grandma lived to be 108. She was in the news on her birthday, as spritely as ever. Long marriage and a respected member of part of her particular community.

Good for him, he looks happy enough. While life is still enjoyable I hope he carries on.

I think generally it is down to genetics and perhaps a little bit of luck. When you read about people who reach such a great age, there doesn't seem to be any common denominator. They rarely cite extraordinary lifestyles or diets. It's usually attributed to something like a tot of rum a day or sausage and mash! One thing they do often have in common though is a long and happy marriage.

I remember meeting a 104 yr old man when I was on a school trip. He had been in the first world war and had many stories about rural life in Ontario Canada. He told a story of coming across a she-bear in the woods that grabbed him, and as he told it, he grabbed me and spun me around the room! I was about 17 at the time.

He attributed his well being to a shot of whisky every morning.

Fish and chips every Friday 😋 Mind you, he hiked a lot when he was young. Does a daily walk round the cul-de-sac count ?