HE SURVIVED the Second World War, he has lived for 100 years – and he may well be the Chronicle's most dedicated reader.

Albert Wakley, known as Bert, has seen more in his life than almost everyone else on the planet.

On November 7, he celebrated his milestone birthday and threw back the years as he recalled even his earliest memories.

He said: "The key to a long life? Well I've never smoked so I think that helped. Other than that, I've had a normal run for a man of my age."

The centenarian, who has purchased every copy of the Chronicle since 1961, left school and worked for Great Western Railway as an apprentice engineer.

In the evenings he went to night school and qualified as an engineering draughtsman.

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When war broke he volunteered for the Territorial Army and was posted to the Isle of Wight before being sent to Java where he was captured by the Japanese.

Bert was shipped to Singapore and then held as prisoner in a Borneo camp for three and a half years.

"All youngsters today have a different approach to things," he said. "Everything was a lot stricter when I was younger – you can do what you like nowadays."

When the war was over Bert married his wife Muriel in Nottingham and they had two daughters.

He then went to work as an engineering draughtsman in a Welsh hospital for 11 years before moving to Winchester hospital, where he stayed for 23 years until he retired as regional engineer.

Bert remembers doing most of the plans for the extensions to the hospital and recalls speaking with consultants, doctors and nurses.

"Now what I do is reading, mainly," he said. "I've also got a large garden where I do the occasional bit of gardening.

"I also still enjoy going to art classes in the city."

Bert still drives to these classes with the U3A Group.

He was also secretary of the Southampton Far East Prisoners of War club for 20 years until it was disbanded.

When retired, he and Muriel had many interests until she passed away at the age of 94.

Since Covid-19 he has had to stay at home where he looks after himself with the help of a gardener and family members.