HE may have hit the 100-years-old mark but Sidney Spalding certainly doesn’t look or feel his age as he jokes about his secret to a long healthy life.

“People ask me that – I say keep breathing!”

Showing no signs of tiredness from the “hectic” birthday celebrations the day before, Sidney, is still entirely independent with a daily dose of Sudoku keeping his mind active.

“To be honest, I don’t feel 100, I feel about 75 I suppose,” he says.

“I do most things myself, my own cooking, washing, ironing, everything in the house.”

The Manchester United fan adds: “I used to be very athletic when I was young. I still do breathing exercises to keep my lungs going. I used to do all sorts of sports – boxing when I was in the Army, football and running.”

And he’s doing a grand job of keeping well, with his home in Greenstead, Colchester, of 34 years looking immaculate.

Sidney’s born and bred in Colchester having attended North Primary School, and has spent all of his retirement living on the estate.

And despite its sometimes troublesome reputation, Sidney says he can’t grumble.

“A policeman asked me when I was walking my dogs on the brook, what I found wrong with Greenstead and I said nothing.

“It is people, not Greenstead. It is quite a nice place to live really but you get the odd bod who makes it a bit difficult.”

Sidney moved to his current home when he retired, with wife Minnie, who died 25 years ago.

They’d first met while Sidney was out walking and “took to each other” he recalls.

“We were going to marry at Christmas in 1939 and had arranged it but war broke out.”

The wedding was able to happen in early December at St Botolph’s Church in Colchester but there was no time to settle into married life for Sidney, who until then had worked as a projectionist at the Empire cinema.

It had stood where the St Botolph’s Circus roundabout is today.

The next day Sidney, 23 at the time, was posted with the Territorial Army and for the next seven years would travel to countries including France, Egypt and Germany as part of his duties.

The couple’s first home was in Canterbury Road and after some years they had two children, Linda, now 62, and Clive, now 59.

Sidney continues: “When I finished the war I didn’t want to go back to working late evenings and I had studied vehicles while I was in the Army so I took employment with an automobile electrical firm.”

Eventually Sidney had the experience to run his own firm, Pownall Auto Electrical Company, based at North Station, and did so for 20 years.

“I sold it but got a bit bored after a fortnight so I looked around for another job and worked for 6 Command workshop - the military’s vehicles – I was 58 by then and worked there until I was 65.”

By then Sidney was ready to retire with he and Minnie relocating to Greenstead.

As well as his several grandchildren and great grandchildren keeping Sidney young at heart these days, he enjoys his daily excursion via mobility scooter to the shop for a paper and watching sport on the television.**he couldn't count up his grandchildren**

Sidney’s 100th birthday on Tuesday was spent surrounded by family and opening his many cards including from the Queen.

The Colchester Borough Homes resident was presented with a cake and balloons by its staff.