Joyce Edge, a 103-year-old great-grandmother from St Neots, Cambridgeshire, has shared the secrets to her long life: a daily copy of the Daily Mirror and a glass of wine. Joyce has been reading the newspaper every day for over 80 years, starting on January 17, 1944, when her husband Bernard was sent to fight with the RAF in World War Two. She has not missed an edition since, reading all 29,864 copies.
Joyce said: 'My father used to read it. So I’ve been reading it a lot longer really but when my husband went to war I made sure I got it every day so I knew what was going on.' Staff at Henbrook House care home, where she now lives, presented her with a replica of the front page from 1944, which she described as having 'a lot more words on it than these days'. She recalled the headline about a Russian offensive and a train crash in Ilford that killed 15 people.
Joyce worked at the Ransome & Marles ball bearing factory in Newark, Nottinghamshire, during the war, making components for the war effort while caring for her young son Colin. Her husband Bernard returned from the war, and they were happily married for 72 years until his death in 2014. She said: 'We used to read the paper and discuss the news together.'
Now at Henbrook House, Joyce enjoys a glass of wine with lunch and sometimes another with dinner. Events manager Brian Moore, who delivers her Mirror each morning, said: 'She does love a glass of wine.' Joyce added: 'It keeps me going.' Staff also noted her sharp mind and love for games like Scrabble, though other residents are reluctant to play because they dislike being beaten by a 103-year-old.
Joyce, who lived independently until 101, said: 'I wouldn’t have believed it. My mum and dad died in the 1960s. People didn’t last as long back then.' She gets up early, puts on her make-up as she has done since age 16, and is first into the living room with her Mirror. She is visited regularly by her three children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, who call her 'Grandma Duck' due to her love of ducks.
