Milestone birthday for Durban North’s William

LIVING in a time when a gasman and town cryer still existed would mean that you’ve probably lived through about ten decades or more by now.

William Martin Lofthouse, better known as Bill, who turned 100 years old on March 6, can tell you about his childhood when the above-mentioned did exist, including a time when there were no telephones, cars or electricity.

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“I was born on March 6, 1924, and lived in Marske-by-Sea, a small North Yorkshire coastal village a few miles from the North Yorkshire Dales. At that time, there were no telephones or cars in the village – everything was horse-drawn. Milk was delivered every day by a dairyman with a large churn from which he decanted into our jug or basin. There was no electricity, and in fact, I was well into my teens when we got electricity into our house. Everything was gaslit, including the streetlights which were ‘switched’ on and off every evening and morning by the ‘gasman’. We also had a town cryer, with his big, brass bell, who would stand on a couple of street corners twice a week to tell the local news,” he said.

Thinking back on his happy, carefree days, Lofthouse said he spent most of them playing with friends on the beach or up in the woods a short distance behind the village. He was also a member of Boy Scouts and became a tent leader as he became quite the pro at pitching a tent and making a sleeping bag from blankets, among other useful skills.

“I completed matric in July 1939. On September 3, 1939, at age 15, I was filling sandbags for building blast walls when the prime minister announced that as of 11 am that morning, we were at war with Germany. I did a spell as night-duty messenger for the Air Raid Precaution Unit before starting work at the Dorman Long Steel plant as an apprentice draughtsman.”

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In September of 1942, aged 18, Lofthouse joined the Royal Navy as an Able Seaman, and seven years later, he met his wife, Amy. He had reconnected with her after meeting in 1945 while on his way to the Far East.

“After demobilisation, I rejoined Dorman Long and worked in the steel-design department until late 1949 when I emigrated to South Africa. We have three daughters – two now live in Australia, and the other is here in South Africa, with whom I am living. I continued as a steelwork designer, eventually becoming a 50% partner in a local consulting engineering firm,” he added.

In the late 1980s, Amy developed signs of Parkinson’s Disease, and by 1990, it reached a stage where it became obvious that she needed more care than William could give her while still working, so he retired at the end of February 1990 to care for her and continued to do so even when she could do nothing for herself.

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“I used to take her to Milky Lane at the Pavillion every day for an outing and milkshake. At one stage, we were the ‘face of Milky Lane’ with our picture on the menu. She finally succumbed to pneumonia on March 2, 2011. After that, I took it upon myself to tend to the Remembrance Garden at the church we attended, gardening being one of my hobbies along with some light woodwork,” he added.

Over the decades, Lofthouse said he has seen the change from no telephones to the present-day mobile phones that are mini computers with built-in cameras and the development of WhatsApp communication and video calls to anywhere in the world.

“I think there have been more advances in technology, especially medical and communication, in the last 50 years than the preceding 200 years,” he said.

Speaking about the highlights of his time on Earth, he said they are his marriage to Amy, reaching 100 years old and receiving a congratulatory card from King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

“At the moment, I am undergoing chemo and was hit by side effects over the birthday week, so my celebration was low-key but still memorable. During the day and evening, I had visits from my nephew and wife and many friends, along with more messages and phone calls than I care to count,” he said.

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