'I feel wonderful': Leamington man celebrates his 110th birthday with a high-flying treat and party!

John Farringdon, Warwickshire’s oldest man and the second oldest man in the country, has told The Leamington Courier that he feels “wonderful” after being treated for his 110th birthday.

A lover of aircraft, Leamington man John was taken by staff at Cubbington Mill Care Home to the Midlands Air Festival at Ragley Hall over the weekend.

There he met Graeme Muscat, who is the ‘Red 10’ Red Arrows Team Supervisor, and watched a display by the world famous aerobatics team.

And, today (Wednesday), a party was held to celebrate John’s amazing birthday milestone at the home where he is a resident.

John said: “It was a fabulous day out and today has been wonderful.

"I feel wonderful.”

John’s birthday cake represented the Ford motor company for which he was an employee for a large part of his life.

He is the multinational company’s oldest former employee and he received an email from its executive chairman Bill Ford to wish him well.

John has also been invited to have a VIP tour of Ford’s Heritage and Innovation Centre in Daventry which has a collection of 120 of the company’s vehicles.

John said: “The last car I drove was a Focus.

"I always owned Fords because of the 25 per cent staff discount.”

Before John’s birthday the care home had put out an appeal for residents to send 110 birthday cards to him. The home received more than 550.

On the day, residents heard performances from the Royal Spa Brass band, an entertainer singing wartime songs and pupils from Cubbington CofE Primary School and North Leamington School who sang Happy Birthday to John.

Later in the day, a tribute act sang hits by one John’s favourite bands, the Swedish supergroup ABBA.

John’s daughter Jennifer and his son-in-law Michael were chauffeur driven from Devon to see him for the day and during lunch staff, residents, and his friends and loved ones sang Happy Birthday to him.