British centenarian credits cigarettes, buttered toast and jam for longevity

Margaret, a British woman living in Basingstoke, is set to turn 100 on Saturday, despite a lifestyle that runs against standard health advice. She told the New York Post that she remains fully independent, runs her household on her own, and sees no reason to change the habits she believes have kept her healthy for decades.

Her daily routine includes smoking between 20 and 40 cigarettes and drinking large amounts of tea with full-fat milk. She also eats bread with butter and a generous layer of jam. Asked about her habits, her granddaughter Rachel Matthews said, “She has never stopped and does not intend to stop anytime soon.”

Matthews added that there is an irony in the family story: Margaret’s daughter, Matthews’ mother, died at 52 after adopting a healthier diet and lifestyle. “It’s quite ironic,” she said, noting that her mother died during a “health journey,” while Margaret simply kept doing what she had always done. The New York Post reported the story on June 25, 2026.

Margaret was born in Bristol in 1926. She remembers taking shelter during World War II and seeing bombers fly over her home. At 18, she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and served for two years. After the war she moved to London and started a family. Ahead of her 100th birthday, Matthews asked the public to mail birthday cards so her grandmother would not feel alone, saying, “It’s amazing that she made it to 100 with a lifestyle like that. It proves that generation was made of different stuff. We are going to celebrate it in a big way.”