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Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Sisters clock up 101 years to become world's oldest twins... and say it's all down to sharing jokes together

Two sisters have celebrated their 101st birthday as officially the oldest twins in the world.

Ena Pugh and Lily Millward, born together on January 4 1910, were toasted with cups of tea and cake by their family in a special party.

The pair were given the accolade by Guinness World records last year after checking their birth certificates.

Still going strong: Ena Pugh and Lily Millward have celebrated their 101st birthday as officially the oldest twins in the world. The pair, from Brecon, South Wales, enjoyed tea and cake with close family and friends to mark the special occasion

Still going strong: Ena Pugh and Lily Millward have celebrated their 101st birthday as officially the oldest twins in the world. The pair, from Brecon, South Wales, enjoyed tea and cake with close family and friends to mark the special occasion

Tucking into a piece of birthday cake, Ena said: 'We are having a lovely day.' And twin Lily said: 'Thank you very much - it's lovely to be together.'

Farmer's daughters Ena and Lily were born before the outbreak of World War 1 when Queen Victoria's son Edward VII was king.

The pair still live in the own houses near Brecon in the Welsh countryside, meet up for weekly shopping sessions and chat on the telephone virtually every night.

Great-grandmother Lily revealed the secret of their long life is 'laughter and having a joke with each other.' She said: 'We used to work on the farm all day, but we would enjoy ourselves.

'It was a lot of fun and sociable. We've been very lucky and we have always had good health.'

Their family had no idea Ena and Lily were the oldest in the world until twins in France claimed the record. But checks showed they were more than three years older.

Lily's daughter Dianne Powell, 64, said: 'As twins they have been very close all their lives and they are still very close now.

'Each of them jumps on a bus on their own every Friday so they can go shopping together and have a chat over a cup of tea.

Prime time: Ena (left) and Lily (seen here with Lily's husband Evan shortly before World War 2) have always been close and say the secret to their longevity is 'laughter and having a joke with each other'

Prime time: Ena (left) and Lily (seen here with Lily's husband Evan shortly before World War 2) have always been close and say the secret to their longevity is 'laughter and having a joke with each other'

'And they ring each other almost every evening although they are both very hard of hearing - they can't really always know what the other is saying but just enjoy talking to each other.'

Ena was born first on a chilly day in January 1910 with Lily a few minutes later in their family farm cottage in the tiny village of Garthbrengy, near Brecon in mid-Wales.

Their parents Charles and Laura Thomas had ten children - including twin brothers - but Ena and Lily are the only survivors.

Ena married railwayman Ivor who died more than 20 years ago. She still lives in her country cottage where she raised their three children - and now has ten grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Lily lives in a smallholding and has been a widow for nearly 20 years after the death of husband Evan, a former timber merchant. She had two children, five grand-children and nine-great grandchildren.

Both of the twins shun some of the luxuries of modern life - neither has central heating in their home.

The sisters live just a dozen miles away from each other in the fresh air of the Welsh countryside - Ena at Erwood, near Builth Wells, and Lily still in her home village of Garthbrengy, near Brecon, but in a different house.

The pair were joined by more than a dozen family at a restaurant in Brecon yesterday for their big 1-0-1 together.

Guinness World Records HQ in London received evidence from the family including birth and marriage certificates for both sisters.


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