EVENT Still cooking at 107, Alf is now our oldest Scot
HER MOST REVEALING INTERVIEW YET IN -- BRITAIN’S TOP CULTURE AND CELEBRITY MAGAZINE
HE has survived two World Wars, living through the reigns of five monarchs and 25 Prime Ministers at the last count.
Now Alf Smith has made a little bit of history himself by becoming Scotland’s oldest living person after the death three days ago of 109-year-old Jessie Gallan.
Yesterday, surrounded by cards from well-wishers including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Mr Smith celebrated his 107th birthday with his daughter Irene, 77, and son Allan, 76.
The retired farmer, who still lives independently in his own home in Perthshire, puts the secret of his extraordinarily long life down to hard work – and a hearty bowl of porridge every day.
He also prepares his own meals on a daily basis, rustling up fish and egg dishes, although he admits to ‘one ready meal on a Thursday’. Mr Smith also washes the dishes, reads the paper every day and enjoys doing jigsaws to keep his mind active.
Yesterday, he said he had ‘no regrets’ and insisted ‘hard work’ and enjoying his job remained the best ingredients towards a long and fruitful life.
‘I’ve always work hard, I wasn’t afraid of work,’ said Mr Smith, from Carse of Gowrie. ‘And I don’t have any regrets at all, oh no, none at all. Things just happened to me just right. You know things just... happened.’ Born in Invergowrie in 1908, the same year Henry T Ford produced his Model T car and with Edward VII still on the throne, Mr Smith later emigrated to Canada and became a lorry driver, but returned to work on the family farm.
Having served in the Home Guard during World War Two, he married Isabella Harper in 1937 and the couple bought a 130-acre farm near Kinfauns in Perthshire, on which he worked up until his 80s.
He said: ‘I had this man working for me, and he was a retired man. He said: “If you’re interested in your job, you don’t bother about the minutes”. He was quite right! I’ve enjoyed my work.’
These days he enjoys watching football: ‘I watch the ladies football as well. I like the girls playing – if they fall down, they just get up and get going. If the men fall down, you don’t think they’ll ever get up.’
Yesterday, Mr Smith’s daughter said: ‘He’s been in hospital once or twice but nothing serious. He doesn’t see the doctor very often.
‘I feel really old because I’m 29 years younger than him.’