Wilf celebrates milestone birthday

A ClwydAlyn resident has recently celebrated his 100th birthday with friends and family at a ClwydAlyn Extra Care scheme.

Wilf Bateman of Llys Raddington, enjoyed a party to celebrate this milestone at the scheme where Wilf also read out a poem written by his local church for the occasion.

Supported by his daughter Sylvia and son in law Graham, Wilf has lived at Llys Raddington since its opening day in October 2018, and shares a table at lunch every day with the good friends he has made since living here.

Everyone came together at the party to celebrate his long and happy life, with his memories of living and raising his family with his wife Megan in Northop, in Flintshire.

Wilf is a true sportsman and through his whole life has been involved in sports, playing football and cricket for Northop and tennis for Mold town; badminton for Northop, Holywell and the county, and golf at Padeswood and Buckley Golf Club, where he was proud to have a 7 handicap.

When asked what his secret is to his long and youthful life, Wilf said it’s down to his keen interest in sport all his life.

One of Llys Raddington’s characters, Wilf’s sense of humour and positive approach to life are loved by everybody at the scheme, and here is the poem he read out on this most special of birthdays:

One Year At A Time

Today, Dear Lord, I am 100, and there is a lot I have not done
I hope, Dear Lord, you will let me live until I am 101

But then, if I haven’t finished all I want to do
Would you let me stay until I am 102?

So many places I want to go, so very much to see
Do you think you could manage to make it to 103?

The world is changing very fast, there is so much in store
I would really like to live until I’m 104

And if by then I’m still alive
I would like to stay till 105

More planes will be up in the air, so around I’d like to stick
And see what happens when I am 106

I know, Dear Lord, it’s much to ask (and it must be nice in Heaven)
But I would like to enjoy a sunset, and stay till I am 107

I know by then I will not be fast, and sometimes I will be late
But it would be nice to be around at 108

I will have seen so much and had a wonderful time
So I will be willing to leave at 109