Wales' 'oldest man', 107, says fish and chips key to long life

For 107-year-old World War Two veteran Owen Filer, one of the secrets to his longevity has been a regular visit to the chippy.

"I've never overeaten... I lived on fish and chips," he said at a celebration on Friday, ahead of his birthday on Monday.

"Fish and chips, a full meal, a scoop full of chips and a fish."

Aside from this, Filer, who lives in Cwmbran, Torfaen, and is believed to be Wales' oldest man, said there was "no secret" to a long life other than living "properly".

Born in 1919, he served with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, the Military Police and was stationed in India on VJ Day in 1945.

"How I got here I'll never know, but I've met a lot of people who have admired me and asked me how I do it," he said.

"No secret recipe, except that I always worked all my life.

"You just live properly, and I've always done it."

Of his favourite meal, for which his fish of choice is "genuine" cod or hake, he said it had now got too expensive.

At the birthday celebration event, he was presented with a commemorative shield by SSAFA - the Armed Forces charity, in recognition of his military service.

He was also surprised with a red-carpet welcome at Market Hall Cinema in Brynmawr, Blaenau Gwent - which claims to be Wales' oldest - choosing a screening of the 1955 comedy One Good Turn, starring one of his favourite actors Norman Wisdom.

Filer was joined at the event by military personnel, as well as his daughter Anne Messore, 80, one of his four children. He also has 10 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Asked how he felt about turning 107, he said: "I thought it would be a better world I would be living in, but I didn't think I'd ever make it."

He also said that, growing up in the early 20th Century, his family did not think "about old age".

"We had no food, we had no money," he said.

Darren Foote, a fellow veteran who helped organise the celebrations, said Filer did not understand why people were making "a fuss of him, he doesn't get it at all".

"He's just a really nice, down-to-earth guy," he said.

"He still gets up in the morning, he puts a clean shirt on, puts his tie on, cleans his shoes, and he gets up with purpose.

"I think we can all take a leaf out of his book on that one, for sure."