Henry Allingham has become a living competition for the Guiness Book of Records. His new record is that of becoming the oldest ever British man, after clocking up 112 years and 296 days. In June he starts life as a teenager again, this time with a 100 year added on.113 versus 13. When he was 13 in June 1909 life was considerably different. For one thing, an Englishman's home really was his castle. No meddling laws to tell you what you could or could not do. The only thing restricted was castellation, the desire to turn your house into some form of mock castle. Only Royalty was allowed to castellate with impugnity!
In 1909 Irving Berlin had a tune going called Wild Cherries. It was very politically incorrect but he didn't know that. It's first verse goes -
Talk of yo' looney coons
Talk of yo' spoony coons
Lover of coony tunes
Jackson was the leader of a big brass band
Understand
While at a ball one night
Miss Lucinda Morgan White
Yelled out with all her might
When he started playing some familiar tune
She just cried with delight
With songs like that ringing in his ears, it's no wonder Henry's lived so long!
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