A GREAT-GREAT-grandfather-to-be who celebrates his 100th birthday today has a love of barley wine to thank for his long life, according to one of his sons.

Harold Morris, of Blenheim Court, Sycamore Drive, Carterton, enjoys a tipple of Gold Label and plans to toast his centenary down the pub today.

His eldest son Roy said: “He is a happy-go-lucky man – especially if he has a Gold Label in his hand.

“The barley wine is his favourite. It’s nine per cent volume so it’s strong, but he loves it.

“I’m sure scientists would disprove the theory, but it could be a reason why he's lived so long.

“He will drink it as long as there’s some available in the cupboard.

“We had a bit of a party yesterday with the other residents of Cottsway Housing Association.

“The mayor came and he gave my dad a bottle of whisky.

“He received it at 10.30 in the morning and a lot of it had gone by lunch time! He was singing Underneath the Arches after that.”

Mr Morris, whose wife Linda died 17 years ago, has three children – Roy 75, who also lives in Carterton, Ronald, 69, who lives in Suffolk, and Muriel, 65, who flew in from Canada to join the celebrations yesterday.

Roy added: “It will be the first time he has seen Muriel in three years so he is very excited.

“We are heading to the Chequers pub in Brize Norton so we’ll have to make sure they are stocked up on Gold Label.”

Mr Morris, who moved to Carterton two years ago, also has eight grand- children, 15 great-grandchildren and is due to become a great-great-granddad in November.

Born in Edmonton, north London, in 1910, he was a lorry driver and reservist in the Second World War.

Roy added: “He used to drive all over the South of England and that's what he did during the War.

“We lived in London during the Blitz and I can remember him working on a Morris Minor when the Battle of Britain started.

“He was always very active. He still loves listening to the wireless – Classic FM is his favourite and he still likes a good old sing-song.

“Obviously he isn’t quite so active now, but he is in good health for his age.

“He is the first male to reach 100 from his Housing Association.

“The only thing he takes is a tablet for water retention, which is remarkable considering he’s 100-years-old.

“He is still quite lucid.”