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Arran’s oldest resident, James Stead, may have reached the grand age of 107 but he still has a twinkle in his eye.
Recently, while coming down in a lift with staff member Peter Mlotek, at Cooriedoon Nursing Home, Whiting Bay, he said: ‘I wonder if I could have a little assistance with a relationship.’
On Sunday James celebrated his big day with his daughter Moira Starks and her family and staff and residents at Corriedoon.
Although James was very ill and in hospital shortly before his birthday he was back at Corriedoon for his big day and in good spirits.
Sandra Bunyan, who runs the nursing home, said James still reads the Glasgow Herald every day and the Banner every week.
Sandra said: ‘Mr Stead still wants to climb Mont Blanc and live for another 500 years. He always wants to know what is happening in the world.
‘We couldn’t get him to Mont Blanc but we bought him a huge jigsaw of it and said he has to fulfil his dreams that way.’
Once again, James received a birthday card from HRH the Queen, which, he said, was ‘worth a million dollars’. He has quite a collection now.
It was handed to him by Dr Alastair Grassie, deputy lord lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran, who also handed over a greeting from the Scottish government.
James was born in Glasgow in 1901. He was too young to serve in the first world war and too old to serve in the second.
In the early 1940s he was on guard duty in the Egyptian room at the British Museum looking after mummies and tombs.
He remarried in 1961 and moved to Arran with his wife in 1964.
He was a key figure in Whiting Bay Drama Club and a founder of Arran Arts Society.
He lived with his daughter in Whiting Bay until he was 103 before moving into Cooriedoon.
