Social networking great for brain-active centenarians

Active centenarians can be great role models for us all and 103-year-old Lillian Lowe from Tenby in Pembrokeshire is one such lady.

Ms Lowe is now said to be Facebook's oldest user since the death in July of 104-year-old Yorkshire woman Ivy Bean in July.

The sprightly centenarian had been using Facebook to keep in touch with all her family and friends, but since becoming known as Facebook's oldest user, she has has received 999 friendship requests from around the world.

Of all the messages, Ms Lowe said: "They have been very kind and uplifting." Understandably she added that she can't reply to them all, but that to all the well-wishers she and her family would "like to say thank you very much."

Ms Lowe used to be a hotelier and business woman and clearly has retained a very active brain, which she says is vital if a centenarian is to use social networking sites. She says she accesses Facebook about twice a week to keep in touch with her family, two of whom are at university in Cardiff.

She explained: "I like it very much, to see my grandchildren and speak to them, but it does waste a lot of time. I have a lot of time sitting alone, when you are my age, I don't go running around, and it is lovely to use.

"I have a number of friends - all my family, grandchildren, great grandchildren. I check up on my family. They send me messages [about] what they're doing, and to which parties they go."

She added that she uses Facebook for amusement and that she is "only a beginner" but that she does enjoy it very much.

Speaking of Twitter, she said that she has heard of it but does not know what it is.

Ms Lowe's predecessor Ivy Bean was famed for her prolific activity on the micro-blogging site. In fact she amassed over 56,000 followers after she joined Twitter in 2008. This was, in fact, one year after she registered on Facebook.

Mrs Bean died in her sleep at care home Hillside Manor in July. In fact the manager of the care home Pat Wright broke the news of her death on her Twitter feed. The popular centenarian had a number of celebrity followers that included singer Peter Andre, ex-prime minister's wife Sarah Brown and Chris Evans.

Mrs Wright said "You could not dislike Ivy. She didn't have a bad word to say about anybody. She was a real lady, an inspiration."

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