Big birthday party at Wootton Wawen Social Club
FORMER Royal Engineers sergeant William Buckley raised a glass at a celebratory skittles night at Wootton Wawen Social Club to mark his 100th birthday.
William, or Bill as he is widely known, was born in Napton-on- the- Hill, on 16th January 1924 and was the youngest of three brothers.
He began working a 48-hour week at Standard Motor Company in 1938, aged just 14, before being called up to the Royal Engineers four years later where he served in the Second World War.
Before that he manned an anti-aircraft gun in Coventry during the Blitz, while his mother worked at the main casualty hospital on Gulson Road as a nurse, attending to the wounded.
His mother then relocated to Clacton in Essex, with Bill making the decision to join her. It was during this period that he met future wife, Doris.
Bill then returned to Coventry after 12 months to work for Jaguar on the crankshaft section at its Browns Lane Plant, where he stayed for the next 10 years.
He said he has always been into cars and used to do all his own repairs.
Bill is now a great-grandfather and has lived in the park home at Wootton Hall for almost 25 years.
According to Bill, the secret to a long life is “keeping fit and eating well”. He continues to do all his own cooking, cleaning, gardening and regularly catches the bus into Stratford to do his weekly shop.
He has completed several marathons and half marathons – the former all in under four hours – and used to run 70 miles a week after work.
