Virgin On The Ridiculous

A woman who has celebrated her 107th birthday this week, was also celebrating as many years as a virgin. Clara Meadmore, of Perranporth, Cornwall, claimed that sex appears to be ‘a lot of hassle’. 


Now I’m not one to knock on her door and insist she pop her cherry - I think there’s a law against that sort of behaviour - but I can’t help but wonder why she hasn’t dipped her toe in. After all, she makes 
Steve Carrell’s character as The 40 Year Old Virgin look like a slut. Yet Meadmore is not alone. Across the water, the University of San Francisco discovered in 2009 that 13.9% of men and 8.9% of women in the US have never had sex. Did they consider the act of love making a ‘hassle’ too? They join the likes of X factor failures John and Edward Grimes (AKA Jedward) who made a less than shocking confession to the Daily Star in August. “Yes we are virgins”, John told them. “We have never had, like, a serious girlfriend”. Though of course, this probably isn’t out of choice. 

The question is, does a personal promise of celibacy guarantee you a long life like Meadmore’s? Or is her long and healthy life irrespective of her decisions in love. I can’t think of many people wanting to give this experiment a bang. Sorry, bash. 


The retired secretary told The Metro newspaper that she knew she wanted to avoid marriage since the age of 12, and that as a young woman she wanted to concentrate on making a living. It is fair to say that without a family beneath her, she must be hiding a pretty penny or two under her care-home mattress. 


But imagine a life without a partner, children... Okay, yes, to some of you this will seem momentarily pleasing. Thrilling in fact. Imagine not having to worry about your kids hurting themselves every time you turn your head away. Wouldn’t it also be wonderful to not have to force out a simple conversation with your partner of 20 years?


However in the long term, surely this would lead to a life of loneliness, and a low sense of self-worth. Beyond our worries about partners (are we growing apart?) and children (have I raised a brat?), there is a bond. Such strong relationships make us feel needed and relevant. 


At her impressive age, she must be watching her friends pop their clogs one after the other. I believe that the facts about Meadmore’s age and sexual preferences are of no relation. It’s a well known fact that people who marry are more likely to live longer than if they remained single. Health website ASB.net released a study in 2008, stating that this trend begins when people hit the age of 40. Yet it hits its’ peak between the ages of 70 and 84, “where the death rate for single people is almost double that of their married friends”. 


With 107 years of celibacy under her belt, it causes me to think that the old lass has never let her self go. What a pity. Still, it’s never to late…