ALF HARBOROW’S 100th birthday led to the biggest gathering of four generations of families for 15 years. Mr Harborow, who was born near Birmingham on 8 April 1904, was thrilled to have his family around him, who had come from England, Canada and the USA to help him celebrate.

He has lived in Guernsey for the last 20 years, living just opposite his son, Michael, an engineer and entrepreneur, at Jerbourg until about a year ago when he moved to Blanchelande Park Nursing Home. Michael and his wife, Susan, hosted Thursday’s celebrations.

Mr Harborow said he was sorry that Gladys, his wife of 74 years, was in hospital and could not be with him – but he is not one to complain.

‘I’ve had a very, very good life, a very, very good wife and a very, very good family. We’ve seen a lot of each other, even though we are so far apart.’

One of seven children himself – four of whom are still alive – Mr Harborow has three sons, Michael, 69, Tony, 65, and Peter, 59, seven grandchildren between 39 and 27 years old and six great grandchildren aged between 10 years and seven months. Nearly all managed to come to Guernsey for his birthday.

Son Tony moved to Vancouver for his work in the chemical business and his wife, Elna, is a physiotherapist from Norway. They have a son there, Peter, and a daughter, Inger, who lives in Connecticut, where she works in the paper business. Elna admired his positive nature.

‘He manages to find the good side of everything – maybe that’s one of the secrets of longevity.’

Son Peter is a doctor who lives in the UK with his wife, Hilary. His two children, Simon and Caroline, and their families also attended the celebrations.

Mr Harborow’s age took him by surprise.

‘I don’t feel much different. I suppose it just happened. I’m fairly temperate in my drinking and smoking and also anything else and I was always pretty fit.’

He is quite a traveller and visited his relatives in Canada when he was 98. On the way back, he went to the wedding of his grandson, Simon, 30, in England.

‘My proudest memory of him is dancing at our wedding aged 98 – that was phenomenal,’ said Simon, who has a seven-month-old daughter, Charlotte.

His fitness is not surprising. He was a talented hockey player and golfer and was made president and a life member of both his clubs in England. He was also made secretary of his tennis club, where he had a date on the court with his wife-to-be after meeting her through work.

He was in at the start of and helped to expand a building company called Linford’s Ltd in Cannock with a friend of his father’s. When he left after 50 years, he was deputy managing director and the firm had 200 employees.

His first job, at the age of 15, was in a fitting shop and his starting wage was 4p an hour. He remembers seeing German Zeppelin airships during the First World War and queuing to get food in the Second as well as a bomb exploding near his house. He was a special constable with the Royal Observer Corps, watching in shifts for enemy planes. Some of his happiest memories are the bridge parties he used to have with his wife and their friends. In addition to the family party at son Michael’s house, Mr Harborow celebrated his birthday with friends at the Queen’s Hotel. He also received a card from the Queen and kisses from the nurses at his home.

A true gentleman, he likes to look after people at the home and even wipes the garden bench for the ladies to sit on.

‘We’re very proud of him – what he is and how old he has become,’ said son Tony.