George is 107

But George Hill is aiming for 110 and he looked more than capable during his birthday celebrations on Tuesday April 1.

Town Mayor Councillor Paul Lendon attended the party at Orchard House in St John's Road, where George lives, and presented him with a certificate marking the occasion as well as a bouquet of flowers from Bexhill In Bloom's Sandra Melvin, acting as Consort.

Cllr Lendon said: "I understand you are the oldest resident here - so you are setting a record. You are doing well."

George seemed content and well as he accepted gifts and blew out the candles on his cake, surrounded by close family members including his daughter Elsie who lives in Hollington.

She left husband Stan at home but came with her own daughter Carol, and son-in-law John.

George had another daughter - Elsie's twin - who lives in Australia and has three sons all married with children of their own.

Elsie, accompanied by her friend Vera Waterson, said: "He is a wonderful man - he always has been.

"He used to be full of life - he used to love a good old singsong and that when we were young.

"He has been a very good father - he would do anything for anybody.

"He has always been a lovely cheerful man."

George was born in Purford, near Woking, and lived on an estate owned by the Guiness family.

He worked as a gardener and met his wife Elsie when she was a housemaid working at Wisley Gardens. They married and had three children - George's son has sadly passed away.

The couple settled in Send, near Woking, where their family grew up, and then moved to Farnborough where they ran a cafe restaurant.

George enjoyed music until relatively recently and also attended regular tea dances at St Mary Magdalene church hall.