But her story is more than a number. Ethel has witnessed history firsthand: the sinking of the Titanic, two World Wars, the first moon landing, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the rise of the internet and the iPhone and TikTok.
Remarkably, longevity runs in the family: one of her sisters, Gladys, lived to 104.
By 18, Ethel had already set out on an extraordinary adventure, working as an au pair for a military family in British India.
Ethel recalled being served by household staff and experiencing a blend of British and Indian traditions, from Christmas celebrations to enjoying Tiffin and Tea. She spent four years working as a nanny in both India and the UK before meeting her future husband, Norman Caterham, a British Army major, at a dinner party in 1931.
The couple married in 1933 at Salisbury Cathedral, where Norman had once been a choirboy. He eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Royal Army Pay Corps. They first lived in Harnham near Salisbury before postings took them to Hong Kong and Gibraltar. While in Hong Kong, Ethel founded a nursery for local and British children, teaching English, games, and crafts.
