A GRADUATE AT THE AGE OF 100
Meet the tech savvy seniors for whom age is just a number
HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY HERB YOUNG AND FRANK BIRKEN
WITH one of them boasting a name like Young is it any wonder these two centenarians still manage to keep everyone from the bowlers to the tech savvy kids on their toes.
Twin Towns favourites Herb Young and Frank Birken celebrate a century on Earth this month.
Both retired to the Gold Coast from Sydney, both bowl, both like to keep busy and both have a no fuss attitudes to longevity.
Mr Young celebrated his (17 November) birthday at a gathering held by Twin Towns Men’s Bowls Club at Club Banora on the weekend.
Sydney born and schooled, the Federal Match Company sales manager retired to Tweed in 1979 aged 62.
He was a district pennant player, Treasurer of Twin Towns District Bowls Club for six years and president for one.
“We see Herb once, sometimes twice a week,” said Twin Towns Men’s Bowls Club President Ian Blackeby.
“He’s the first club member to make 100 so far as I know, though we’ve a few in their 90s.
“He plays with a group from the RSL club. They all play together … a good tight group. He doesn’t play a full game, but he still likes to roll a few balls down the green when he can.”
Mr Birkin celebrated his birthday on Melbourne Cup day. He still lives at home, drives a car and plays bowls three days a week. If there’s a secret to long life, it’s about keeping busy, he said.
An engineer by trade, Mr Birkin ran his own poultry farm, had a milk run and drove a delivery truck.
“I retired aged 42 and had a 12-year holiday. Then, I decided I needed a change,” he said.
“I took a job driving security trucks three days a week. I did that until I turned 67. That’s when they retired me … said it had something to do with insurance.”
Just a few days shy of his 100th birthday, Mr Birken graduated from Twin Towns’ Ace Community Colleges Tech Savvy Seniors course.
One of about 60 over 70s who enrolled in the course to learn about email, online shopping, social media and more, he surprised coaches with his speed on the uptake and even managed to offer a helping hand to those slower to find their way around the technology.
“I bought my computer three years ago. I wouldn’t say I get around it easily,” he said.
“There’s always more to learn, but email, that’s easy enough and I like it. I have about 6000 emails stored away.
“I know most people read an email and delete it, but not me. I like to save the good ones … iCloud wouldn’t let me keep any more so I had to change to Gmail.”
More Tech Savvy Senior Courses will be held at Twin Towns in the new year.