A SCARBOROUGH man celebrated his 100th birthday earlier this week (May 13).

Kenneth Holmes was joined by his second cousin Helen Fidgeon and her husband Martin, who had travelled from Staffordshire to raise a glass of champagne with Ken, along with residents and management at Peacock Manor Nursing Home in Whixley near York.

Ken was educated at Scarborough's High School for Boys, and said he went on to work as an engineer in microscopy – a role he described as ‘complicated’ - and moved to Japan to live and was married there in 1960.

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Helen said he would come to visit his family to summer in the UK when he needed to escape the heat in Japan but also loved travelling, ticking off China, Russia, Egypt and India as he went.

Clinical lead at Peacock Manor Liz Corser, where Ken has been resident since June 2023, said he was very kind and caring and joined manager Arun Varghese in a toast and cutting of a special cake.

To top off the celebrations, which included a live performance by vocalist Nikki Humberstone of a century of popular songs such as Sweet Caroline, Hey Big Spender and Hello Dolly, Ken received the traditional message of congratulations at becoming a centenarian from the King and Queen.

Headlines and stories from Yorkshire Evening Press – edition number 13,037 - on Tuesday May 13, 1924 included a stock clearance at jewellers Stanhope & Co of 17 Coney Street in York, a recording of the 17th Eskdale Tournament of Song at The Coliseum in Whitby, and a Letter to the Editor headed “The Education of Today”.