Clara Meadmore, a retired secretary, who still has her own hair, teeth, and sharp wit, never had time for a family and lived alone until going into care.

She said: "I've always had lots of platonic friendships with men but never felt the need to go further than that or marry."

Miss Meadmore, who was born in Glasgow, and lived in Canada and New Zealand, before settling in Cornwall 40 years ago, also added that she had never had any interest in sex.

"I imagine there is a lot of hassle involved and I have always been busy doing other things," she said.

"When I was a girl you only had sex with your husband and I never married. I grew up in an era where little girls were to be seen and not heard so I had to learn to stand up for myself and earn my own living.

"Some men don't like that in a woman and before long I was too old to marry anyway."

Miss Meadmore has never owned a television, but she enjoys the radio, and is a particular fan of the BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour programme. She also enjoys cooking, gardening and reading.

She saved up her salary and spent the money going on walking tours in many parts of Britain in the 1920s and 1930s, and she still has the diaries of the trips.

A friend, Josie Harvey, who has known her for 30 years, said: "She was fiercely independent and believed in doing things her own way, and that allowed her to live a long life.

"She has kept a great interest in what is going on in the world and she is a wonderful source of information."

Miss Meadmore is due to celebrate her 105th birthday on Saturday at a party at the Perran Bay nursing home in Perranporth, Cornwall.

据英国《每日电讯报》报道，梅德摩瑞出生在英国的格拉斯哥，先后在加拿大和新西兰生活过，大概40年前回到英国康沃尔郡定居。尽管梅德摩瑞105岁了，但是头发和牙齿还没掉，头脑仍然非常灵敏，她退休前从事秘书工作。

梅德摩瑞一辈子没有结婚成家，她喜欢旅游、烹饪、园艺和读书。上世纪20年代和30年代，她经常用积攒的钱在英国各地徒步旅行，到现在她还保存着那些旅行日记。梅德摩瑞没有买过电视，但是她喜欢听广播。到了晚年，她进入康沃尔郡一家养老院生活。

谈起自己长寿的秘诀，梅德摩瑞表示与她一辈子独身有关。她说：“一直以来我与许多男人都有着柏拉图式的友谊，但是我从来不想与他们进一步发展或者结婚。”她还补充说，自己对性从来都不感兴趣。“我认为这（结婚和性）会引发许多矛盾，我一直忙着做其他事，”梅德摩瑞说。

梅德摩瑞表示，一辈子独身与自己要强的个性也有关。她说：“当我还是年轻女孩时，受到的教育是你只能和自己的丈夫有性，而我又从来没有结过婚。我成长的那个年代女孩们的外表比智慧更受重视，所以我不得不学会自立并努力养活自己。但是一些男人不喜欢女人太好强，后来我年龄太大了也就无法结婚了。”

认识梅德摩瑞已有30年的老朋友哈维说：“她非常独立，总是以自己的方式做事，这使她长寿。”哈维还介绍说，梅德摩瑞非常关注时事，要想了解世界正在发生什么大事，向她打听准没错。