what a life! Britains oldest man 112 years.

[Nibble]

Britain's oldest man, thought to be one of three surviving UK World War I veterans, is celebrating reaching his 112th birthday.

Henry Allingham, who was born in London on 6 June 1896, is also the last surviving original member of the Royal Air Force - formed 90 years ago.

Mr Allingham, from Ovingdean, near Brighton, will celebrate at Royal Air Force College Cranwell, Lincolnshire.

The event will include a fly past by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

There will also be a parachute jump display.

The event will be attended by Air Vice Marshal Peter Dye (retd) and Vice Admiral Sir Adrian Johns.

As well as the fly past and the parachute jump by the Royal Air Force Falcons Parachute Display Team, Mr Allingham's birthday will be marked by a visit from local school children who will give him a cake.

Six monarchs

Now partially deaf and almost blind, Mr Allingham, who was born in Clapham, London, now lives at St Dunstan's home for blind ex-servicemen, in Ovingdean.

His life has spanned six monarchs and has taken in 21 prime ministers.

Mr Allingham is the last survivor of the Battle of Jutland in 1916, and also fought at the Somme and Ypres where he was bombed and shelled.

He joined the Royal Air Force when it was formed from the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and the Army's Flying Corps in 1918.

His many medals and honours include the British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the Legion D'Honneur - the highest military accolade awarded by France.

He has joked that the secret to his longevity is "cigarettes, whisky and wild women".

 

[Woodchip]

He must have made 336 then, as it's here three times.

 

[Nibble]

He must have made 336 then, as it's here three times.

Apologies, didn't see it.

 

[Nibble]

Oh, I see. weird! don't know what t he begora happened there. I seemed to have fixtured myself!

 

[Lush]

Getting old, Nibble?

 

[Nibble]

Getting old, Nibble?

*in old man's voice* I'm 31 you know!

 

[portslade seagull]

happy birthday Mr Allingham.......you've seen things that none of us will ever have to experience......respect..

 

[REDLAND]

happy birthday Mr Allingham.......you've seen things that none of us will ever have to experience......respect..

like black and white telly

 

[Buzzer]

Do you reckon you still get stiffies at that age? I'd imagine his nutsack looks like a deflated balloon that's been squashed down the back of the sofa for a few years.

Dunno why this occurred to me.

Dunno why I'm actually putting these thoughts on NSC either.

 

[Gully]

No...the only stiffy you have to worry about when you get to that age is rigor mortis.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Good luck to the man. In very old age, he's been pushed into a role that he probably never thought he'd have to play - and he's been brilliant at it.

I sometimes wonder if he'd rather be talking about another phase of his life than the four years of WW1. My grandfathers (like millions) went through the same period of history, but hated talking about it. Get them on to what life was like in the 1930s, though, and they wouldn't stop. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that Henry Allingham's experiences of something other than 'his' war are just as interesting.

 

[Storer68]

He saw WG Grace play cricket

MCC played host to Henry Allingham who, at 111 years old, is Europe’s oldest man. Despite being a keen cricket fan Henry had never previously visited Lord’s.

Henry had actually watched the legendary WG Grace play, in the flesh, in the early 1900's. He was shown around the MCC Museum, where he posed for pictures next to a bust of WG.


and it would have been this match he attended

f5800 Surrey v London County
Other First-Class matches in England 1903
Venue Kennington Oval on 13th, 14th, 15th April 1903 (3-day match)
Balls per over 6
Toss London County won the toss and decided to bat
Result Surrey won by 8 wickets
Umpires W Hearn, VA Titchmarsh
Close of play day 1 Surrey (1) 32/1 (Hayward 21*, Hayes 6*)
Close of play day 2 London County (2) 28/2 (Grace 14*, Vine 2*)



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
London County first innings Runs Balls Mins 4s 6s
*WG Grace b Lees 43
WL Murdoch c Strudwick b Hadfield 9
B Jayaram c Hayes b Hadfield 5
LC Braund c Holland b Davis 11
NF Norman c Hayes b Davis 0
EHD Sewell c Davis b Hayward 90
+JH Board c Strudwick b Lees 59
J Vine b Hayward 26
JG Hirsch b Hayward 0
WW Odell not out 7
PR May b Hayward 0
Extras (14 b, 3 lb) 17
Total (all out, 75.2 overs) 267
Fall of wickets:
1-21, 2-34, 3-70, 4-70, 5-74, 6-201, 7-257, 8-?, 9-?, 10-267 (75.2 ov)
Surrey bowling Overs Mdns Runs Wkts Wides No-Balls
Lockwood 7 0 27 0 - -
Hadfield 19 4 63 2 - -
Lees 27 3 71 2 - -
Davis 15 1 64 2 - -
Hayes 1 0 8 0 - -
Hayward 3.2 0 11 4 - -
Holland 3 1 6 0 - -

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Surrey first innings Runs Balls Mins 4s 6s
TW Hayward b Vine 107
E Wiltshire c Hirsch b Braund 0
EG Hayes c Sewell b Odell 51
FC Holland b Odell 17
WH Lockwood b Odell 36
WS Lees lbw b Odell 13
*L Walker c Vine b May 54
WE Davis c and b Odell 8
GH Hadfield c Braund b Odell 10
DLA Jephson not out 47
+H Strudwick c Board b Vine 12
Extras (22 b, 8 lb) 30
Total (all out, 114.4 overs) 385
Fall of wickets:
1-9, 2-156, 3-196, 4-?, 5-236, 6-267, 7-?, 8-291, 9-344, 10-385 (114.4 ov)
London County bowling Overs Mdns Runs Wkts Wides No-Balls
Braund 17 1 57 1 - -
Odell 42 10 117 6 - -
Vine 36.4 4 99 2 - -
May 15 4 57 1 - -
Hirsch 3 0 20 0 - -
Grace 1 0 5 0 - -

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
London County second innings Runs Balls Mins 4s 6s
*WG Grace c Hayward b Hadfield 81
WL Murdoch b Hadfield 9
B Jayaram c Hadfield b Lees 3
J Vine c Hayes b Davis 30
NF Norman b Hayward 7
EHD Sewell c Lockwood b Hadfield 18
+JH Board c Strudwick b Lees 17
JG Hirsch run out 0
PR May not out 7
WW Odell c Lees b Hadfield 0
LC Braund absent hurt
Extras (9 b, 2 lb) 11
Total (all out, 78.3 overs) 183
Fall of wickets:
1-14, 2-17, 3-93, 4-?, 5-146, 6-167, 7-168, 8-?, 9-183 (78.3 ov)
Surrey bowling Overs Mdns Runs Wkts Wides No-Balls
Hadfield 26 3 61 4 - -
Lees 29.3 10 54 2 - -
Hayward 10 2 30 1 - -
Davis 13 3 27 1 - -

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Surrey second innings Runs Balls Mins 4s 6s
E Wiltshire b Murdoch 13
WE Davis st Board b Odell 1
EG Hayes not out 43
WH Lockwood not out 1
TW Hayward did not bat
FC Holland did not bat
WS Lees did not bat
*L Walker did not bat
GH Hadfield did not bat
DLA Jephson did not bat
+H Strudwick did not bat
Extras (8 b, 1 lb) 9
Total (2 wickets, 16.1 overs) 67
Fall of wickets:
1-7, 2-60
London County bowling Overs Mdns Runs Wkts Wides No-Balls
Odell 5 0 27 1 - -
May 2 0 5 0 - -
Sewell 4 1 10 0 - -
Jayaram 4 0 12 0 - -
Murdoch 1.1 1 4 1 - -

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes
--> B Jayaram made his debut in First-Class Matches
--> JG Hirsch made his debut in First-Class Matches
--> WE Davis made his debut in First-Class Matches
--> GH Hadfield made his debut in First-Class Matches
--> WG Grace (2) passed 52500 runs in First-Class Matches when he reached 26

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A fall of snow delayed play by ten minutes on the first day

 

[Pavilionaire]

I never knew that Wiltshire and Holland have both played 3-day first class county cricket.

 

[sams dad]

My wife works at St Dunstans and helps look after Henry Allingham.
He attributes his long life to " cigarettes, booze and wild women ".

 

[hitony]

My wife works at St Dunstans and helps look after Henry Allingham.
He attributes his long life to " cigarettes, booze and wild women ".

Great !!! that means i have years left !! ...................Damn......i gave up smoking years ago

 

[hitony]

Britain's oldest man, thought to be one of three surviving UK World War I veterans, is celebrating reaching his 112th birthday.

Henry Allingham, who was born in London on 6 June 1896, is also the last surviving original member of the Royal Air Force - formed 90 years ago.

Mr Allingham, from Ovingdean, near Brighton, will celebrate at Royal Air Force College Cranwell, Lincolnshire.

The event will include a fly past by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

There will also be a parachute jump display.

The event will be attended by Air Vice Marshal Peter Dye (retd) and Vice Admiral Sir Adrian Johns.

As well as the fly past and the parachute jump by the Royal Air Force Falcons Parachute Display Team, Mr Allingham's birthday will be marked by a visit from local school children who will give him a cake.

Six monarchs

Now partially deaf and almost blind, Mr Allingham, who was born in Clapham, London, now lives at St Dunstan's home for blind ex-servicemen, in Ovingdean.

His life has spanned six monarchs and has taken in 21 prime ministers.

Mr Allingham is the last survivor of the Battle of Jutland in 1916, and also fought at the Somme and Ypres where he was bombed and shelled.

He joined the Royal Air Force when it was formed from the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and the Army's Flying Corps in 1918.

His many medals and honours include the British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the Legion D'Honneur - the highest military accolade awarded by France.

He has joked that the secret to his longevity is "cigarettes, whisky and wild women".

So when are we signing him then ?

 

[sams dad]

Great !!! that means i have years left !! ...................Damn......i gave up smoking years ago

2 out of 3 aint bad, Tony.
Any good news on the job scene ?

 

[Gwylan]

and it would have been this match he attended

f5800 Surrey v London County
Other First-Class matches in England 1903
Venue Kennington Oval on 13th, 14th, 15th April 1903 (3-day match)
Balls per over 6
Toss London County won the toss and decided to bat
Result Surrey won by 8 wickets
Umpires W Hearn, VA Titchmarsh
Close of play day 1 Surrey (1) 32/1 (Hayward 21*, Hayes 6*)
Close of play day 2 London County (2) 28/2 (Grace 14*, Vine 2*)



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
London County first innings Runs Balls Mins 4s 6s
*WG Grace b Lees 43
WL Murdoch c Strudwick b Hadfield 9
B Jayaram c Hayes b Hadfield 5
LC Braund c Holland b Davis 11
NF Norman c Hayes b Davis 0
EHD Sewell c Davis b Hayward 90
+JH Board c Strudwick b Lees 59
J Vine b Hayward 26
JG Hirsch b Hayward 0
WW Odell not out 7
PR May b Hayward 0
Extras (14 b, 3 lb) 17
Total (all out, 75.2 overs) 267
...

How come there are at least two Sussex players in that London team?



Old Henry must be the last person living who saw WG Grace play - that's an amazing link with history.

 

[chesneyhawkes]

Given the choice, would anyone want to live that long?
Dont get me wrong, it is a great achievement, but when my body lets me down so badly that i cannot walk, see or hear i think i would become a burden to people and feel bad about carrying on. And sky would highlight me everytime Brighton got beyond the first round of the F.A Cup and reference 1983.