Britain's fifth oldest person credits 'good wife' as he turns 108

Britain's fifth oldest man credited a "good wife" for his long life as he celebrated turning 108.

John Shannon had a party with fellow residents at Hampden House nursing home in Harrogate to mark the occasion.

Having lost his wife, Eileen, in 2008, Mr Shannon's hand-typed story of her life was printed and bound as a book, with copies given to his family.

Paying tribute to her, he said: "If you have a very good wife, life is good, eating is good, and things go well."

Mr Shannon was born in Barking, Essex, in 1916, when Herbert Asquith was prime minister and George V was on the throne.

His family moved around as his father was a Marine and he went to eight different schools by the age of 10. He later trained to be a teacher.

After signing as a Royal Navy volunteer, he entered the Navy in 1939 and is thought to be the only surviving naval man to have served throughout the entire Second World War.

He was later head of PE in a secondary school and a primary school head teacher.

He joined a teacher training college in Bradford in 1964 and remained there until his retirement in 1975.

A father-of-two and grandfather-of-nine, with 11 great grandchildren, he still keeps in touch with family via email.

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