Wales’ Oldest Man Recommends Fish and Chips Diet

A man thought to be Wales’ oldest resident is approaching his 107th birthday—and credits a lifetime of hard work and regular fish and chips for his remarkable longevity.

Owen Filer, from Cwmbran, insists there is no special formula behind his long life. He says he kept things simple, worked throughout his life and avoided eating too much.

“I’ll never know how I got this far,” Mr Filer said. “I’ve met many people who admire me and ask how I’ve managed it.”

“There’s no secret recipe. The only thing I can say is that I worked all my life.”

He added: “You just have to live properly, and that’s what I’ve always done. I never overate. I lived on fish and chips.”

“A full meal was a scoop of chips with a piece of cod or hake. It was proper, genuine fish and chips.”

Looking at the cost of the meal today, he said: “You couldn’t afford to buy it now, could you? Things have changed so much. It’s crazy.”

Born in 1919, Mr Filer served with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers before joining the Military Police during the Second World War.

Mr Filer marked the milestone with family, friends and fellow veterans at the Market Hall Cinema in Brynmawr on Friday, several days before his birthday on Monday.

During the celebrations, SSAFA presented him with a commemorative statuette in recognition of his military service and to celebrate his upcoming birthday.

Reflecting on his extraordinary life, Mr Filer said he never expected to reach such an advanced age.

“I thought the world would be a better place by the time I was living in it, but I never imagined I’d make it this far,” he said.

“Nobody in our family ever thought about growing old. We had no food and no money—that’s the truth. We had nothing.”

He attended the event at the Tredegar Veterans Support Hub with his daughter, 80-year-old Anne Messore, one of his four children. Mr Filer also has 10 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Later that day, he received a surprise red-carpet welcome at the Market Hall Cinema in Brynmawr, where he selected a screening of One Good Turn.

Darren Foote, a fellow veteran who helped arrange the birthday events, said Mr Filer could not understand why so much attention was being given to him.

“He doesn’t get it at all,” Mr Foote said. “He’s simply a genuinely nice, down-to-earth man.”

‘He still gets up in the morning, he puts a clean shirt on, puts his tie on, cleans his shoes, and he gets up with purpose.

‘I think we can all take a leaf out of his book on that one, for sure.’