A SALFORDS great grandfather has celebrated his 100th birthday, surrounded by more than 70 friends and family members.
Harry Sadler celebrated his centenary in style with a big party on April 24 at Heathy Farm in Crawley. He described the day as "brilliant" and said he was grateful for the nice weather.
His daughter, Sue Patience, said: "He is certainly a force to behold.
"When I asked him if he would like to get caterers into the house for the event he said, 'No dear, it's going to be bigger than that'."
Mr Sadler was born in London and lived with his parents until he was eight. When his mother died, he and brother William were placed in a home. In 1931 he went to work on a farm in Worthing.
He eventually left to work in a quarry near Midhurst. The family he lodged with became lifelong friends and it was through them he met his wife Evelyn. They married in Balcombe in May 1940 and Mrs Patience described the two as "inseparable" until Evelyn died in 2010, aged 94.
Mr Sadler was conscripted into the Royal Artillery during the Second World War and stationed in Kent. He also had a spell as a despatch rider.
After the war the Sadlers moved to Horley, temporarily living in old Army huts.
Their daughter, Sue, was born in 1947 and son, Peter, in 1951.
Eventually the couple bought their own house in Westmead Drive, Salfords where Harry still lives today.
Using the skills learned in the Army, he worked repairing lorries before becoming self employed later in life, repairing cars well into his 70s.
He is a keen angler and gardener and has four grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
