Four British siblings have been hailed as the world’s oldest SISTERS with a combined age of nearly 400 – and say their secret is a ‘Good Life’ diet and no foreign food.
Twins Freda and Doris Latham have just celebrated their 101st birthday alongside Gladys Camp, 96, and Phyllis Friend, 93.
Between them they have lived through nineteen Prime Ministers, five monarchs and survived two World Wars.
Their 391 years beats the previous record of the world’s oldest set of sisters who had a combined aged of 386.
And the four siblings from Devon put their long and record breaking life down to a healthy British diet – and avoiding spicy food.
They are now hoping to get their achievement officially recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Gladys lives in Kentisbury, Devon, while the other three live in nearby Barnstaple.
She said: “It would be wonderful if we were officially recognised as the oldest sisters in the world. People are talking about the world, not just in this country.
“Our parents would be shocked. It is a great achievement. I think part of the reason we have survived so long is because of the food we ate.
“It was the way we were brought up – I am positive of it. Today they have all spiced up things and I don’t think it does you any good.
“We had some lovely times all together when we were children.”
Doris also believed their longevity was down to diet and was influenced by war-time rations.
She said: “There were six years of war. It was all plain food and we didn’t have anything fatty.
“Father used to plant the garden and we always had plenty of vegetables. Mum was a good cook and we always learned from her over the years.”
The total figure would have been even higher but for two other sisters, Amy, 95, and May, 98, passing away recently.
Gladys said: “We were very close and it is just a shame that Amy and May can not share this achievement. But they did also nearly make it to 100 as well.”
Gladys, who used to run a petrol station and shop which is now run by her son and daughter-in-law, said her parents would be amazed to know that all six of their daughters had made it to their 90s.
She said: “Dad was only 71 when he died, and mum was 75 so there was nothing in the genes.
“It is an incredible achievement. We are really excited that we could be world record breakers.”
Between them the four sisters have 11 children, 12 grandchildren, five great grandchildren and even two great great grandchildren.
The previous record was held by Lillian Brown, Dorothy Thompson, Ellen George and Sylvia Sturgess, from Leicestershire and Northampton.
