21 JANUARY 2006, Page 21

Ninety years young

From Eric Dehn

Sir: I read the article about Betty Parsons (‘Labour of love’, 7 January) with great sympathy and also a touch of jealousy. What Mrs Parsons and I have in common is the attainment this month of the age of 90, a love of life and 6 p.m. whisky, and a sadness at having to give up driving (in my case the driving of a golf ball, as players on neighbouring fairways began to flee in terror).

What I do not share, and wish I did, with Mrs Parsons are her gutsy practicality (I am too squeamish to watch Casualty on television, let along the birth of a child) and her remarkable energy and vitality. I can still walk as far as the pillar-box, but was overtaken on my way there last week by a cat. Eric Dehn