London: One of the oldest women in the UK believes that the secret to long life is eating lots and lots of porridge and most importantly staying away from men.
The spinster celebrated her 109 birthday on January 2 with lunch and a slice of cake at the Crosby House care home in Aberdeen. Jessie Gallan puts her old age down to avoiding men and also a daily helping of porridge each morning. "My secret to a long life has been staying away from men. They're just more trouble than they're worth," she was quoted by The Mirror as saying. "I also made sure that I got plenty of exercise, eat a nice warm bowl of porridge every morning and have never gotten married," she said.
Gallan was born in a two-room farm cottage in Aberdeenshire and left home at 13 to become a milkmaid. "She goes to all the concerts and enjoys her church on a Sunday. And obviously she has led a very healthy lifestyle," Senior support workers said. Jessie became Scotland's oldest woman following the death of Clare Dawson, of Glasgow, in June 2013 at the age of 109. The oldest living person in the UK is Ethel Lang, 114, from Barnsley.
Last year, a national survey of centenarians found that the secrets to long life include plenty of time with friends and family and a commitment to fitness.
