Ethel Caterham, world's oldest living person, marks 116th birthday
Mrs Caterham was born three years before the Titanic disaster, eight years before the Russian Revolution and lived through two world wars.Born in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, the second youngest of eight children, she was raised in Tidworth in Wiltshire.As a teenager she worked as an au pair in India, and later lived in Hong Kong and Gibraltar with her husband Norman, a lieutenant colonel in the army.A statement released by her care home said: "Ethel and her family are so grateful for all of the kind messages and interest shown to her as she celebrates her 116th birthday this year."Ethel will spend the day quietly with her family so that she can enjoy it at her own pace. Thank you again for your kind wishes on this special day."The oldest person who ever lived, whose age could be verified, was Frenchwoman Jean Louise Calment, who died in 1997 at the age of 122 years and 164 days.
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Times
20 minutes ago
- Times
Ethel Caterham, world's oldest person, celebrates 116th birthday
The world's oldest person will quietly celebrate her 116th birthday in a Surrey care home with her family — unless she receives a call from the King. Ethel May Caterham, who was born five years before the First World War, became the oldest known living person in April after the death of the Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, who died aged 116. Caterham was born on August 21, 1909, in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, the second youngest of eight siblings. This makes her the last surviving subject of Edward VII, who died in May 1910. She is also the last person alive who was born in the first decade of the 1900s. • Ethel Caterham becomes oldest person in the world, age 115 On Thursday, she will celebrate her birthday in the village of Lightwater and take the day 'at her own pace', surrounded by her family. A spokesman for her care home said: 'Ethel and her family are so grateful for all of the kind messages and interest shown to her as she celebrates her 116th birthday this year. 'Ethel has again chosen not to give any interviews, preferring to spend the day quietly with her family so that she can enjoy it at her own pace. The King may be her one concession, understandably. Thank you again for your kind wishes on this special day.' Last year she was sent a birthday card by Charles to mark her 115th birthday. At the time, she said she 'didn't know why there was all the fuss'. After being raised in Tidworth, Wiltshire, Caterham worked as an au pair in India for three years. Upon her return to the UK aged 21, she met her husband Norman, who was a major in the British Army, at a dinner party in 1931. The couple, who had two daughters, were stationed in Hong Kong and Gibraltar. Her husband died almost 50 years ago in 1976, the Gerontology Research Group said. She also outlived both of her children. Longevity runs in the family. One of Caterham's sisters lived to 104. Caterham drove her car until she was 97 and enjoyed playing bridge in her centenarian years. Shortly before her 111th birthday, Caterham told BBC Radio Surrey the secret to her longevity was 'taking everything in my stride, the highs and the lows'. She has also previously said her motto for a long life was 'never arguing with anyone, I listen and I do what I like'. Caterham became Britain's oldest person in 2022 and now becomes the first known person in British history to reach 116 years old. The title of the oldest person ever is held by a French woman, Jeanne Calment, who lived to 122 years and 164 days, according to Guinness World Records.
The Independent
22 minutes ago
- The Independent
Fall in key GCSE pass rate prompts concerns about English and maths resits
The proportion of GCSE entries scoring a decent pass has fallen again this year, prompting fears about young people in England being forced to resit their English and maths exams. More than two in three (67.4%) UK entries were awarded at least a 4 or a C grade – which is considered a 'standard pass', down by 0.2 percentage points from 67.6% last year. In 2019 – before the pandemic – 67.3% of entries were awarded at least a 4 or a C grade, according to the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) figures. Meanwhile, the proportion of entries across England alone who secured at least a grade 4 in English language and maths has fallen compared to last year. The figures have sparked concerns that many teenagers in England will be forced to undergo the 'demoralising' process of resitting their GCSE exams after failing to achieve a grade 4 or above in English and maths. In England, many students who do not secure at least a grade 4 in English and/or maths GCSE are required to retake the subjects during post-16 education. Overall, 58.2% of entries across England for all ages achieved a grade 4 or above in mathematics, down from 59.6% last year. Meanwhile, 59.7% of entries across England for all ages achieved a grade 4 or above in English, down from 61.6% last year. The Government has been urged to review the compulsory resits policy. Fewer than a fifth (17.1%) of entries aged 17 and over in England secured a grade 4 or above in maths this year, compared to 17.4% last year. Around one in five (20.9%) of entries aged 17 and over in England secured a grade 4 or above in English language this year, unchanged from last year. Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: 'Once again we see that the majority of students who retake GCSE English and maths in post-16 education under a Government policy of mandatory resits continue to fall short of a grade 4 standard pass. 'It is utterly demoralising for these young people and there has to be a better way of supporting literacy and numeracy.' Pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland received their GCSE exam results on Thursday to help them progress to sixth form, college or training. Many of the students who received their GCSE grades this summer were in Year 6 when schools closed because of Covid-19 and they then moved into secondary school in the middle of the pandemic. Education leaders have warned that these pupils have faced a series of challenges – including school attendance issues and cost-of-living pressures. This year's results show that wide attainment differences remain across England, with the gap between the highest and lowest performing regions at the top grades at more than 10 percentage points. The total proportion of GCSE entries awarded top grades has risen this year, the JCQ figures show. More than a fifth (21.9%) of UK GCSE entries were awarded the top grades – at least a 7 or an A-grade – which is up by 0.1 percentage points on 21.8% on last year. This was higher than in 2019, before the pandemic, when 20.8% of entries achieved the top grades. The gap in GCSE results between boys and girls is now at its narrowest point this century. While girls are still outperforming their male classmates in terms of both top grades and reaching at least a 4/C, their results dropped slightly this year. Overall, 1,302 16-year-olds in England taking at least seven GCSEs achieved a grade 9 – the highest grade under the numerical grading scale – in all their subjects, up from 1,272 last year, figures show. In London, 28.4% of entries were awarded a grade 7 or higher this year, while for north-east England the figure was 17.8%. The overall rate for grades 1/G or above is 97.9%, the same as in 2024 but down on 98.3% in 2019. In England, Ofqual brought GCSE grading standards back in line with pre-Covid levels in 2023, and exam regulators in Wales and Northern Ireland returned to pre-pandemic grading last year. The move came after Covid-19 led to an increase in top GCSE grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams. While traditional A*-G grades are used in Northern Ireland and Wales, in England these have been replaced with a 9-1 system, where 9 is the highest. A 4 is broadly equivalent to a C grade, and a 7 is broadly equivalent to an A. Sir Ian Bauckham, chief regulator of Ofqual, said this year's GCSE results are 'stable' in comparison to the past two years – when grading returned to pre-pandemic levels in England. He said the differences this year are 'natural variation' that would be seen between any year. Sir Ian told the PA news agency: 'The standard of work required to achieve a grade seven or a grade four at GCSE is the same this year as it was last year, and what we're seeing is statistically insignificant changes at those key grades from last year to this year.' Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 'Behind every grade lies hours of dedication, resilience and determination and both students and teachers should feel an immense sense of pride in what they've achieved today. 'But while results today are stable, once again we are seeing unacceptable gaps for young people in different parts of the country. 'Where a young person grows up should not determine what they go on to achieve. 'Through our Plan for Change – from revitalised family services to higher school standards – I am absolutely determined to make sure every young person, wherever they live, has the opportunities they deserve.' More than 360,500 vocational and technical qualification (VTQ) results have also been awarded to pupils.
The Guardian
23 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Ann Seth obituary
My mother, Ann Seth, who has died aged 90, worked for decades as an English and history teacher before she decided to develop her interest in art instead. In 1981 she enrolled for a second degree in visual studies at Oxford Polytechnic, where she became hooked on photography. She went on to exhibit a series of multimedia installations, using innovative methods such as infrared film and stereoscopy. On one occasion in the mid-1980s she took over the former St Paul's church in Jericho, Oxford (now known as Freud's cafe) filling it with triptychs, sculpture and abstract photography. Her artistic interests turned increasingly towards landscape photography. In the early 2000s she was commissioned by Oxfordshire county council to document the beautiful countryside across the south of the county. This was one of her favourite jobs, allowing her to spend time at White Horse Hill near Uffington, one of her most beloved places. Ann was born in York and grew up as bombs fell on the wartime city. Her father, Fred Delaney, an Irish immigrant who dreamed of becoming a professional footballer, was called up at the start of the second world war, and was among the thousands of servicemen listed missing in the sinking of the RMS Lancastria troopship in 1940. He never returned. Ann, an only child, was brought up by her mother, Edith (nee Glenn), who scraped a living doing clerical work around York. Home life was lonely, but Ann loved school and she especially loved books, devouring five each week from York's library. Encouraged by her headteacher at the Bar Convent school, she applied to university, the first in her family to do so. In 1953 she arrived to study English literature at Sheffield, where she met Bhola Seth, a young Indian engineer studying for a PhD. They married in 1960, a time when mixed marriages were rare. After graduating, Ann and Seth (as he was always known) moved first to Tyneside, where Ann taught at Blyth grammar school, and then in 1962 they arrived in Oxfordshire, where they remained for the rest of their lives. Seth worked at the Esso Research Centre near Abingdon, while Ann taught history at a secondary school in Didcot. Her social life revolved around sport – badminton and tennis – and theatre, which remained one of Ann's great loves. They also made frequent trips to the Lake District, where Ann slowly introduced Seth to the joys of fell-walking. The couple continued to visit the Lakes throughout their marriage, climbing 70 separate 'Wainwrights' in Ann's 70th year. After Seth died in 2013, Ann spent more time in and around her home village of Letcombe Regis, where she became increasingly active in Green party politics. As her health began to fail, her village walks became shorter and she eventually settled for excursions around her back garden, walking determinedly up and down the lawn ('doing the rounds'), and sitting under the old apple tree. The dedication of her long-term carer, Lynette, enabled her to remain at home until the end of her life. She is survived by me.
