Two centenarians, who are considered to be the world’s oldest penpals, have been corresponding since the 1930s and have now turned to Zoom to continue to stay in touch.
Geoff Banks from Honiton, Devon, in southwest England, and Celesta Byrne from Texas, United States, started writing to each other at the age of 16 in 1938.
Their communication with each other began as part of an educational project to put British and American students in contact—and 84 years later, the two, who just turned 100, are still corresponding.
“I honestly struggle to remember how we got in touch, but I was talking to Celesta recently and I think it was something to do with an American school’s scheme,” Banks said. “I was in my last year at grammar school I think ...”
Sharing more, Banks said he ended up receiving a letter from an American girl and since then he and Byrne have continued to write to each other.
A retired engineer, Banks said there were some years when they struggled to stay in touch since he was serving as a mechanic on the British aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious in the Pacific during World War II.
“[B]ut some of my mail I had sent to her during the war was returned to her after it ended and she wrote me back,” he said.
Most of their conversations have revolved around their daily lives and families. However, in one of their early letters, Banks remembers sending Byrne a copy of a British paper in 1953 that had Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation on the front of it.
“She acknowledged receipt of that, but we generally just chat and put the world to rights you know,” Banks said. “She’s always been there to write to, even if it was just birthday cards and Christmas cards. She’s a very interesting person.”
Despite having chatted for decades, the pair have only met twice—first in 2002 while Banks visited New York at the age of 80 and then two years later.
At that time Byrne was living in New Jersey.
“I'd worked abroad for a number of years but had not been to the States for some time,” Banks said. “Celesta was in New Jersey, so we decided to meet up in New York for a short Christmas trip.”
In 2004, the pair met again and Byrne invited Banks for lunch at her house.
Despite having such a unique relationship, the pair deny there was ever any romance between them. They both have been married and Banks’ wife of 63 years passed away in 2011.
Byrne also echoed similar sentiments saying there haven’t been any romantic feelings between them, adding, “We’re just friends, like people who live next door.”
Over the years, Byrne has had several children and unfortunately lost one recently.
Banks is now a great-grandfather who sadly outlived his daughter but still has three sons scattered across the world and many more grandchildren.
Since Byrne is now partially sighted, Banks corresponds mainly via email with one of her daughters who lives nearby.
“Email is much easier for me these days too because I can’t write very well anymore,” Banks said.
Recently they are also using the video app, Zoom to stay in touch.
“I have this new thing called Zoom I think now to chat with her, but I leave all the technology to younger people. They’re much better at pressing all the buttons,” Banks said.
