By George - he's 100!

Lifelong rugby league fan George Cheetham got a double whammy of a celebration on his 100th birthday.

Because although Oldham’s Mayor Ginny Alexander could not visit him because of Covid restrictions, she sent  flowers and a special card.

And her good friend Chris Hamilton, Chairman of Oldham RLFC, made a visit to see sprightly George and present him with a rugby t-shirt.

George was born in Chadderton Fold and can remember the flood there in 1927.

He joined the TA when he was 19 years old and was stationed on Wellyhole Street.

From there he was selected to join what was the 47th Royal Tank Regiment.

He was a driver and a gunner and went on reconnaissance looking for where the enemy was in an armoured car.

He spent some time on the “Armoured Train” and finished the exercise at Little Hampton when he became part of the 25th Army Tank Brigade.

He saw service in North Africa and Italy.

All of his five brothers also served in the war and unfortunately his youngest brother, Harry, was killed in Burma.

When he came out of the army he was an engineer, he worked for a building company, he also worked down the mines at Moston Pits.

Before he retired he was a delivery driver for various companies.

Through the years George’s passion was watching Oldham Rugby League play both home and away matches, and still gets great enjoyment from watching it on TV.

He used to go to Sheddings to watch training Tuesday and Thursdays as well as matches, and his favourite player was Bernard Ganley.

George married his wife Ida in 1946 and they had two daughters Dorothy and Sandra and have six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Ida sadly she passed away in 1975.

George remarried in 1980 to Doris, and was very happy for 37 years, when sadly she passed.

And he says his recipe for a long life is to have patience, never give up and everything in moderation, as well as having a good old sing song.

He is always singing and enjoys a drop of whisky in the evening.

His daughter Sandra says he is in remarkable health and has never been one for sitting around and still likes to keep himself busy tinkering with clocks, watches and anything else he can pull to pieces and then put them back together.

George has recently has been taking kettles apart to see how they work!

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