100-Year-Old Twins Celebrate Milestone Birthday And Reveal Secret To A Long Life

Happy Birthday Irene and Phyllis ๐ŸŽ‚

These twins have proven to be quite the sister act after celebrating their 100th birthday.

Irene Crump and Phyllis Jones have spent a whole century together after being born 25 minutes apart on November 20 1916 - and even live together in Stourport, Worcester.

The twins - who arenโ€™t identical but look remarkably similar - attended the same school and shared their first job at Steatite Porcelain Products before Irene married farmer Samuel Crump.

The duo put their milestone birthday down to โ€˜hard work and good foodโ€™ and celebrated in style with 48 friends and a traditional Sunday roast.

Caters

Irene, the younger of the two, said: โ€œWe often celebrate our special birthdays together, and we had a lovely day.

โ€œWe celebrated our 90th together, and last year we celebrated our 99th birthday too.

โ€œHard work and good food is our secret, thatโ€™s all I can put it down to.โ€

The twins have each otherโ€™s first name for their middle name and say they have always been close.

Irene added: โ€œWeโ€™ve always been close and we live together now, Phyllis moved in with me five years ago.

โ€œI canโ€™t walk very far now but Phyllis walks around the block every day.โ€

The pair canโ€™t remember how much they weighed when they were born, but Irene - or Auntie Rene as sheโ€™s affectionately known - says sheโ€™s always been โ€˜plumpโ€™.

She said: โ€œIโ€™ve always been heavier. Iโ€™m not fat, more plump, but Phyllis is the thin one.

โ€œI was a farmerโ€™s wife.โ€

The twins had an elder sister, Dorothy, who died in 2006 aged 92.

Dorothy was also a twin, but her sibling passed away during childbirth.

Both Irene and Phyllis married: Ireneโ€™s husband Samuel died in 1999 and lived well into his 90s, and Phyllisโ€™ husband, Ray Jones, died aged 91 in 2006.

Although Irene never had any children, Phyllisโ€™ only son, Carl Jones, helps care for them both, especially now Phyllis has vascular dementia.

Carl, 58, said: โ€œMy wife Patricia and I are here every day and we phone them at least once.

โ€œThey live independently and theyโ€™re doing great, and if thereโ€™s an emergency theyโ€™ll ring me.

โ€œThey get on well but they do have their moments - but thatโ€™s going to happen whether theyโ€™re 100 or 20!โ€

Carl, whoโ€™s now retired, added: โ€œMum and Auntie Rene, as most people call her, have always lived a few miles apart, and now they live together.

โ€œTheyโ€™re totally different though - Auntie Rene has always been very methodical and careful, but Mum always races around doing things.โ€

The pair are thought to be one of just six sets of โ€˜centenarianโ€™ twins in the UK and go out for lunch most Fridays at the Lenchford Inn, where they celebrated their birthday.

They didnโ€™t ask for presents to mark their special day, instead requesting donations for the air ambulance.

Irene said: โ€œWe didnโ€™t want presents, we just wanted donations.

โ€œWe havenโ€™t got all the money in yet but we think weโ€™ve done pretty well, itโ€™s a cause close to our heart.โ€

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