Loquats and salt water is the secret to longevity for Myrtle Edness of Billy Goat Hill in Warwick who recently turned 100.

Mrs Edness turned 100 on Thursday and celebrated with a birthday tea at Fourways Inn. Earlier in the week she shared a birthday cake at the Masterworks Museum at the Botanical Gardens with her friend Elfrida Chappell who has also just celebrated the big 1-0-0.

“The phone has been ringing off the hook since 8am this morning with birthday wishes,” said Mrs Edness’ daughter, Maureen Eddy.

One of the calls was from Premier Michael Dunkley to wish her well.

“She has been saying, ‘wow, I’m 100’,” said Mrs Eddy.

“I guess I can’t say I’m 99 years old any more,” joked Mrs Edness.

“I was a wild child,” Mrs Edness said in an earlier interview. “I used to live on the South Shore in Warwick and I would swim every morning before going off to work, even if I had to swim at 6am.”

She spent her 99th birthday swimming at Clearwater Beach.

Mrs Edness was born on Ord Road in Warwick, but she was little, the family including parents Gerald and Adulcie DeShield, and siblings, Lillian and Gerald, moved to Mangrove Bay in Somerset. Her father was a pilot on the Somerset Ferry, and he also did “gigs” piloting large ships into port. They lived next door to Finley’s Meat Market and behind the Bank of Bermuda building.

“I can remember hearing the clink of coins counted when I went for a nap in the afternoon,” she said.

Later, they moved again, and she went to Paget Glebe where attendance cost one shilling and sixpence. She and her siblings had to walk a mile every day, to and from school. “Sometimes, we would catch a ride on a passing cart,” she said.

Miss Adele Tucker, the school’s headmistress, read articles from the newspaper to the children every morning. In this way Mrs Edness began to learn a bit about the world beyond Bermuda.

“Before that I did not concern myself with anything except climbing trees to collect loquats and cherries and other tasty berries,” she said. “Maybe that is why I have lived so long and managed so far to stay healthy.”

She did well in school and the teacher tried to convince her father to let her go to The Berkeley Institute. Her father, however, was upset that her older sister hadn’t also been encouraged to attend the school, and for that reason rejected the offer. Mrs Edness took evening courses and went to work at The Recorder. There, she set type, delivered advertising proofs to local businesses and frequently pedalled all the way to Somerset to collect money owed to the newspaper.

She married her neighbour and childhood friend, Arnold Edness in 1944. Mr Edness was a carpenter and a contractor involved in the construction business. They moved to Billy Goat Hill in Warwick where Arnold built their own home. They were married 33 years and had two children, Alan and Maureen.

After her children started school, she operated A J Edness Grocery Store, in Warwick for 29 years before retiring in 1978. Her husband passed away in 1977 and her son, Alan, was, sadly lost at sea in 2003.

In her younger days, Mrs Edness belonged to the Socratic Literary Club. Members of the club read good books and then summarised them at meetings. Each member had to take a turn hosting the club, and when it was their turn they had to give a speech.

Today, her hobbies include reading, doing puzzles, and swimming, of course. She also takes music lessons with Lloyd Matthews and has played in a couple of recent piano recitals. Her favourite piece is Ode to Joy. She likes to stay active.

Mrs Edness has three grandchildren, Melanie, Jason, and Alex, and one great grandchild Alaya.