Lily celebrates century landmark

10:45am Monday 17th November 2008

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GREAT great grandmother Lily Keats is celebrating her 100th birthday on Monday surrounded by friends, family and neighbours.

A card from the Queen, a cake and a stream of visitors is helping to make the day special for Mrs Keats, or Aunty Lil, as she is known, who lives in Ashmead Court in Trowbridge.

Born and bred in the county town, Mrs Keats, puts her good health down to plenty of sugar, white bread, lots of potatoes, butters and daily cooked dinners.

With a packet of Maltesers beside her, the great great grandmother, dismissed the advice of a health expert she saw on TV advising people to stay away from sugar, which she admits she eats “by the 100 weight.”

She said: “They said throw it away, it’s a killer, and I said, as though he could hear me, I’m 99 and I have had a healthy life.”

Since turning 100, Mrs Keats has retained a good humour, alertness and a lively interest in the world.

She can still recite the Morse Code from her Girl Guide days when she was 12 years old and closely follows the fortunes of Aston Villa Football Club, who her late husband Les supported.

Mr and Mrs Keats were married on November 5, 1932, at Emmanuel Baptist Church. Mr Keats died in 1975 The popular centenarian also clearly recalls memories of her father, Herbert George Beaven, who was killed in the First World War. His body was never found and he was presumed killed in action.

Mrs Keats said: “The last time he went he said to my mother I won’t come back next time and he didn’t.

“I can remember him well.”

Following the war, Mrs Keats suffered from influenza - the flu outbreak that killed so many.

As was one of five children, she has survived her brothers Ken, Len, Tom and Ron.

Mrs Keats went to Newtown School in Trowbridge but had to leave at the age of 14.

However, this did not deter her enthusiasm for knowledge.

She said: “I was determined I would learn somehow and I started to read lots.”

Mrs Keats is devoted to the literature of Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and the Brontes, and even sits with a picture on her wall of Colin Firth, who played Mr Darcy, in Mrs Keat’s favourite film Pride and Prejudice.

“I like Colin Firth, Mr Darcy; he’s lovely,” she said.

“I have seen it (the film) about 20 times, I know all the words.”

After school, Mrs Keats went to work in the finishing department for Kemp & Hewitt, a woollen cloth manufacturers in Trowbridge.

Every day, she reads a passage from the Bible and settles down to watch her favourite TV shows.

“I do like A Question of Sport,” Mrs Keats said.

“It is good; it’s clean; it’s funny and it’s spontaneous.

“It is very, very good.”