Secrets of longevity
LAST Friday this paper had a very amusing article on the secrets of centenarians. As whisky, avoiding sex and being religious were among the recipes for a long life, I thought I must be in with a chance but then I reflected on the opposite cases.
Catherine Booth, the daughter of the founder of the Salvation Army, lived to be 104 and never touched a drop of alcohol. In an Italian village where one in 10 of the population is over 100, the mayor claims that sexual activity among the aged is rampant.
As for religion, the statistics are pretty clear that it goes with old age but even so a centenarian joined the Freedom from Religion Foundation a few years ago.
I suspect it is nothing to do with habits and everything to do with genes.
If you want to know how long you will live, dig out the family archives.
THE second tale is of my own experience. I was once accused of speeding and had to check my diary to make sure that I was actually on that stretch of road at the time specified. I was and as I was the only one making the journey I paid up. If however I was in the habit of travelling with someone else and was also in the habit of sharing the driving then I could not have been so certain.
Neither Michael nor Sandra had enough points on their licences to make another three critical. It was a journey they made often and there was no set pattern as to who drove there and who drove back. Had it been a more unusual journey it might have been easier to remember.
However what really irritates me
HOW DO YOU RATE AS A PARENT?
about this silly saga is that the judge accepted that the Howards told the truth and that they really had discussed the matter and tried to recall which of them was driving. So why the severe punishment? It was because Lord Howard did not write out his wife’s full name and address when specifying that he could not remember who was driving. In other words instead of saying “Sandra Howard” he wrote “my wife”. Oh, spare us. How many wives does the law suppose he has?
Michael Howard is to appeal. I do not often say this but I do sincerely hope he wins.