Owen Filer, believed to be the oldest man in Wales, has recommended a diet of fish and chips as he prepares to celebrate his 107th birthday. The Cwmbran resident marked the milestone on Friday with friends, family, and fellow veterans.
Born in 1919, Mr Filer served with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and then the Military Police during the Second World War. He said there is “no secret” to a long life other than living “properly”.
“No secret recipe”
Speaking to reporters, Mr Filer said: “How I got here I’ll never know, but I’ve met a lot of people who have admired me and asked me how do I do it. No secret recipe, except that I always worked all my life. There is no secret, you just live properly, and I’ve always done it. I’ve never overeaten… I lived on fish and chips. Fish and chips, a full meal, a scoop full of chips and a fish, and it was cod and hake, it was genuine. You can’t afford to buy it now, can you? It’s such a change, isn’t it, it’s crazy.”
Commemorative shield presentation
On Friday, Mr Filer was presented with a commemorative shield by SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, in recognition of his military service and in early celebration of his birthday on Monday. He was accompanied by his daughter Anne Messore, 80, one of his four children. He also has 10 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Later on Friday, Mr Filer was surprised with a red carpet welcome at Market Hall Cinema in Brynmawr, where he chose a screening of the film One Good Turn.
Reflections on turning 107
Asked how he felt about turning 107, he said: “I thought it would be a better world I would be living in, but I didn’t think I’d ever make it. Nobody ever thought about old age in our family… We had no food, we had no money, and that’s God’s truth, we had no money.”
Darren Foote, a fellow veteran who helped to organise the birthday celebrations, said: “He doesn’t understand why they make a fuss of him, he doesn’t get it at all. He’s just a really nice, down to earth guy. He still gets up in the morning, he puts a clean shirt on, puts his tie on, cleans his shoes, and he gets up with purpose. I think we can all take a leaf out of his book on that one, for sure.”
