Britain’s twelfth oldest man celebrates 107th birthday

A man thought to be the oldest living Bristolian has celebrated his 107th birthday. 

Leonard John Howes is the 12th oldest man in Britain, having celebrated his birthday on Friday 14 October.

He has seen five different monarchs during his lifetime and lived through two world wars.

The lifelong Bristol City fan started his life in St Pauls, living on Dalrymple Road, before moving to Bedminster where he lived in Gladstone Street, Stanley Street and Smyth Road. 

He moved to Newquay in Cornwall at the age of 97 to enjoy a spot of sea air in his retirement.

Mr Howes served in World War Two and in the Royal Corp of Signals as an electrical engineer.

He was based at a military station in Wiltshire, Box Hill, during the Blitz and repaired bomb damage to telephone cables in Bristol. 

Mr Howes also worked intercepting possible enemy communication and electrical signals at the Forest Moor ‘Y’ station, a Royal Navy land base in Harrogate.

On VE day in 1945, Leonard marched proudly through the town applauded by cheering crowds. 

He continued to work in signals intelligence after the war and spent much of the rest of his life working for British Telecom before retiring in 1981.

Mr Howes’ grandson Nick said: "Bristol’s oldest living man is 107 today, happy birthday dear Granddad.”