FATHER AT 101-WONDERFUL OLD BRITON

Northern Advocate, 31 October 1936, Page 1 (Supplement)

FATHER AT 101-WONDERFUL OLD BRITON

JN an old Norfolk cottage at Burnham Market, near Nelson’s birthplace, Burnham Thorpe, I met one, of the most wonderful old in Great Britain, writes H. de ' Winton Wyley in the “News Chronicle.’’

George Skeet w as 103 years old last April. Today, as we talked, two tiny children played about his knee —Doris, aged two, was born when George was 101, and Eric, aged five, when he was 98. ' ’ ■ '

George, born in 1833, before Queen Victoria came to the throne, is their father. They have a brother who is 69.'

. No father could be happier or prouder, and no children could love their father more.

George Skeet was married for the second time 13 years ago, when his wife was 19. He, of course, was then 90, and the marriage has brought him, he told me, “the greatest delight in wife and children that any aged man like me has ever had.” -

Mrs-,-Skeet, who is now 32, shares his joy in their two children, and said, with a smile:

“I am glad I married George. I have been able to look after him. We are very happy, and, he is the best husband a woman could have.”

George is a native of the village in which he lives.

When he was earning 7/6 a week he first married. That was in 1858— 78 years ago. He and the first Mrs Skeet had a family of two —William, now 69 years old, and Edward, now 60. His wife died 63 years after their marriage.

“These young people keep me alive,”

declared George, as he sat in his chair. He gently prevented little Doris, who was climbing on his knee, from burning herself as he lighted his .Pipe. .y ■ ' ; .... “I’ve got some years to go yet,” he said. “George has never had a day’s illness since we were married,” said Mrs Skeet. “He goes out every day. As for the children, you can see how pretty and healthy and strong they are. They have never had a doctor.” The. children are as bonny a couple as you could wi£h to see. £ Eric, who 'has blue eyes and flaxen curls, .is a strikingly beautiful boy with sturdy limbs. And golden-haired Doris resembles him.

They ran about the cottage laughing and shouting; threw themselves ,on their father’s knees and tormented him in the endearing way children have.

George loves their boisterousness, and plays with them. Two-year-old Doris is aunt to a man of 40 and great-aunt to a girl of 22, and to others of her father’s greatgrandchildren.

The old man eats heartily, hears distinctly, and does not wear glasses. He goes to church twice every Sunday. Last Sunday, for the second time in his life, he went for a motor-car ride. George is the oldest railway pensioner in the country. * * $ » SNAKE CHARMER RESTORES BOY’S LIFE. fJTHE remarkable case of a boy who, it is claimed, was brought back to life after death from a snake-bite is

being investigated by the Lucknow police. Two years ago the seven-year-old son of a gardener was sleeping when a snake bit him under the left eye. The village medicine man tried hasty remedies, but the boy is said to have died and was duly consigned in accordance with religious practice to the cold waters of the Ganges.

Three months later the boy was seen with a group of snake chairmers, and the father began a long search throughout United and Central Provinces for him.

He dogged the footsteps of hundreds of snaki* charmers before he hit the right-trial, ; , When at last, a few days' ago, he found his son in a snake charmers’ camp,, recognition was mutual, but the snake charmers refused to give the boy up, claiming that they had brought him back to life.

Police assistance was called, the charmers were arrested, and a number of mysterious drugs were found.

WIFE’S' FOOTBALL BREAKS UP HOME.

JgEGAUSE his wife is among the in-

creasing number of women who play football in Austria, Herr Karl Lutz has asked for a divorce. “My wife leaves me to do the cooking and look after our child while she tears about the football field,” he compalined. His wife answered:

“My health is just as important as Karl’s comfort. He ought to be able to do a little cooking while I’m kicking goals. Besides, I am making the family famous.