A resident at Prospect House in Malpas has celebrated his 102nd birthday.

George Beard was born on July 5, 1912, in Birkenhead.

He was apprenticed to an engineering company and afterward went to work for a motor engineers.

He then went on to work in the aircraft industry with a company in Hooton and was there during the war repairing aircraft during the day and doing Red Cross nursing work at St Catherine’s Hospital at night, especially during the Blitz.

He stayed with the aircraft industry for the rest of his working life, finishing with the British Aerospace at Broughton in 1976.

Mr Beard was a keen motorcyclist in his youth and also loved sailing at Hoylake.

He was a keen walker and loved mountains and enjoyed a lot of holidays in Scotland caravanning and also had a great many years camping in Wales.

He was a member of the Red Cross until he was 80 and was in charge of Kelsall branch and worked with the Holidays for the Disabled charity.

He was made a Red Cross life member and received a 50-year service award.

He is married to Janet and has three sons, grandchildren and great grandchildren.