One of Merseyside's oldest men, Charles Martin, celebrated his 107th birthday last week and has shared the secret to a long and happy life. The Wirral resident marked the milestone on July 23, surrounded by family, staff and fellow patients at Arrowe Park Hospital.
A life of service and sport
Born on July 23, 1919, Charles served in the Royal Air Force during World War II and learned to play baseball alongside American counterparts. After the war, he became dairy manager at Swan Hill Dairy, a Wirral business that supplied milk to more than 40,000 households across the peninsula.
A lifelong sportsman, Charles played football at both Anfield and Goodison Park in his younger years and continued playing golf at Heswall Golf Club until he reached the age of 100.
Keeping active at 107
Even at 107, Charles still enjoys doing his own shopping with support from his carers and keeps his mind active daily with crosswords and maths puzzles. He was overwhelmed by the kindness shown on his birthday. He said: “It was wonderful that the hardworking staff on the ward came together to celebrate my birthday. I was shocked to see the fuss they made. It was so nice. They all work so hard and it was very kind of them.”
When asked the secret to his long life, Charles simply said: “Sixty years of happy marriage.” He also received a birthday card from The King and Queen.
Family and hospital staff celebrate
Charles' son, Paul Martin, thanked the ward which organised the special occasion. He said: “We are very appreciative of the efforts of the staff to celebrate dad’s birthday. It just shows the value of the NHS, where the staff go the extra mile to provide not just brilliant clinical care but celebrations like this.”
Janelle Holmes, chief executive at Wirral University Teaching Hospital, said: “It was a privilege to celebrate Charles' incredible 107th birthday with him and his family. Charles has lived an extraordinary life and it was wonderful to see our ward 27 team come together to make his birthday so memorable. Moments like these reflect the compassion, kindness and person-centred care our staff provide every day. We are incredibly proud of our colleagues for going the extra mile to make Charles feel so special, and on behalf of everyone at the trust, I would like to wish him a very happy 107th birthday.”
