THE family of a well-known Prudhoe man flocked to his home town to mark his milestone 100th birthday at the weekend.

Jim Baron celebrated his birthday on Sunday, September 7 at the Falcon in Prudhoe after being swamped with cards and good wishes from his friends and family.

Born in Prudhoe in 1918, Jim spent the first years of his life in Prospect Terrace, before he moved to Woodburn Terrace in the town after he married his late wife Margaret in the early 1940s.

Remarkably, Jim still lives on Woodburn Terrace, although at a different address, and at the age of 100 he has no troubles getting around his home and making his own meals.

Jim played the piano in his younger years as part of the North-East Gleneagles band. He often played at the Queen's Hall in Hexham, but also travelled to other venues around the district.

"Then the war started and I had to stop," explained Jim. "I did armaments during the war.

"We worked 7.30am until 7.30pm, seven days per week, for quite a while. Then they started to realise it was too much so they started giving us about one day off every month or two!"

Jim remained working for Vickers Armstrong at Scotswood Road for 30 years, where he worked in the aircraft and tanks department of the business, before he became tired of the commute and joined a local car firm which opened at Low Prudhoe.

It only lasted around three years before it closed, and Jim spent the rest of his working life at Ryton Engineering at the Spike in Blaydon, before retiring aged 65.

After his retirement he joined a Low Prudhoe walking group to keep fit, and sometimes played the piano at Hexham Hospital. Margaret died in 2002, but Jim is visited regularly by his two sons, Jim and Peter, and his three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

"I just feel normal. It doesn't feel any different being 100," added Jim.

"I'm quite pleased though. It's quite an achievement."