'I've lived to 106 thanks to eating one thing every single day'
A WWII veteran celebrating his 106th birthday has revealed the secret to his long life - eating one sweet food every single day. Great-great grandfather Leslie Lemon, from Aylesbury, Bucks., favours Bird's custard but always has a tin of Ambrosia's ready made in the pantry for emergencies.
His current favourite treat is rhubarb and custard - but is also partial to trifle and custard - and prefers his sweet treat cold. He celebrated his 106th birthday this week - having been born on July 1, 1919. Mr Lemon, a corporal in WWII, said: "The secret to a long life is custard. Rhubarb from the garden and custard.
"I eat it every day. I prefer it cold. It's nice in a trifle. You can't beat it. I usually have the powder but I've got a ready made Ambrosia in the pantry for emergencies. You should always have a pudding."
Mr Lemon has now been retired for longer than he worked - having worked as an 'office boy' for Inland Revenue, now HM Revenue & Customs until he was 60 in 1979. He served as a corporal, from 1939 to 1946, throughout WWII and received the Légion d'honneur medal from the French government five years ago. The great-great-grandfather-of-two said, despite turning 106: "I don't feel older at all.
"I've got no aches and pains. I don't take any tablets or medications. I never see a doctor."
Mr Lemon, who has eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, said his second favourite food was fish and chips. He added: "You can put custard with apples, gooseberries, any fruit from the garden."
For his 100th birthday, he was given his own Bird's custard jug. He has received three cards from royalty which sit on his mantle - a letter from Queen Elizabeth II on his 100th birthday and two from King Charles and Camilla for his 105th and 106th birthdays.
As for his advice for growing older, Mr Lemon, originally from Ealing, London, said: "Everything in moderation. I'm so lucky and I'm quite happy. The thing that has changed the most is video calls. I can't work it myself. I'm a bit old fashioned."
Mr Lemon married his wife Doreen in 1944 and remained together until her death in 1999. They had three children - Michael, Mary and Richard - but Mary sadly died from hepatitis caused by polluted seawater when she was ten. Youngest son Richard, 73, said: "When we were growing up, we always had fresh fruit and veg - no one froze things in the 50s.
"Dad is a believer in that you should always have pudding and he's had custard as long as I can remember."
Mr Lemon has also been honoured with a year's supply of free custard from Asda. An Asda spokesperson said: 'We'll all be taking a leaf out of Mr Lemon's book and enjoying more custard going forward, we hope he enjoys a free year's supply on us.
"When life gives you lemons add custard!'
Mr Lemon's family said: "He's absolutely delighted. He'll probably put it all under his bed."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
3 hours ago
- Metro
106-year-old man gives secret to long life and he eats a mug of it everyday
A centenarian has put the key to a long life down to a simple combination — rhubarb and custard. Leslie Lemon, who turned 106 on Tuesday, attributes his good health to a daily fix of his favourite pudding. 'That's my secret to a long life: custard, custard, custard; rhubarb from the garden and custard,' he said. 'You can't beat it. I have it every day and I want it every day.' The great-great-grandfather, from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, favours Bird's but always has a tin of Ambrosia in the pantry for emergencies. He said he has no aches or pains, sleeps well and is not taking any medication or seeing a doctor. The World War Two veteran is free to indulge his sweet tooth after helping to see Britain through some of its darkest days. He served in the Army throughout World War Two, signing up in 1939 and leaving as a corporal in 1946. He was awarded the French Légion d'honneur medal in recognition of his contribution to the country's liberation during the war. Born in 1919, he was the fourth of five children in Ealing, west London. The Luton Town fan told the BBC that he had a 'bossy sister, who taught me right from wrong' and loved playing cricket. He was encouraged by his father to enlist as the war loomed, and he joined the Royal Engineers, where he found 'comradeship'. 'In the trenches, we had a young lad,' he recalled. 'He was scared, he asked me to pray and that saw me through, looking after him. 'We were all scared, but we took it in our stride and accepted it. We were lucky we came through it – it was touch and go at one time.' The soldier was stationed at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp as the end of the war approached. 'It was terrible,' he said. 'The Germans left and the British soldiers took over. We helped as much as we could.' He met his future wife, Doreen, while stationed in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, in 1943, and they married a year later. She died from dementia in 1999. The couple had two sons, Michael and Richard, and a daughter, Mary, who died aged 10 from hepatitis contracted from polluted seawater 'You never get over it,' Mr Lemon said. After being demobbed in 1946, he worked as an 'office boy' at the Inland Revenue in Luton, while his wife was employed at the Vauxhall car factory. He retired in 1979 aged 60 after his family had moved Aylesbury. More Trending Mr Lemon is often visited by his family, including eight grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. He plays cards, including whist, with the younger generations. Sixty relatives gathered for his birthday celebrations when he turned 100. Mr Lemon had the following advice for anyone wanting to live to a ripe old age: 'Take things as they come and be prepared to adjust; not to be too set in your ways. I am quite happy as I am.' MORE: Want to live to 100? One single factor could be the key MORE: 100-year-old woman says the secret to a long life is 'not speaking to strange men' MORE: There are three secrets to hitting 100 – and they work at any age
Daily Record
7 hours ago
- Daily Record
Second World War hero says secret to reaching 106 is classic UK food he eats each day
Leslie Lemon celebrated his 106th birthday recently and has shared what he believes is the reason for his long life. A Second World War veteran who just celebrated his 106th birthday attributes his impressive longevity to a daily dose of one classic food. Leslie Lemon, a great-great-grandfather from Aylesbury, Bucks, has a penchant for custard, particularly Bird's custard, but keeps a tin of Ambrosia's ready-made custard on hand for emergencies. His dessert of choice is rhubarb and custard, although he's also fond of trifle with custard, served cold. As he celebrated his 106th birthday - he was born on July 1, 1919 - Mr Lemon, who served as a corporal during the Second World War, said: "The secret to a long life is custard. Rhubarb from the garden and custard. "I eat it every day. I prefer it cold. It's nice in a trifle. You can't beat it. I usually have the powder but I've got a ready made Ambrosia in the pantry for emergencies. You should always have a pudding." Having retired from his role as an 'office boy' at Inland Revenue, now HM Revenue and Customs, in 1979 at age 60, Mr Lemon has enjoyed retirement longer than his working years. His service from 1939 to 1946 earned him the Légion d'honneur, France's highest and most prestigious order of merit, five years ago. Despite his advanced age, the great-great-grandfather-of-two insists: "I don't feel older at all. I've got no aches and pains. I don't take any tablets or medications. I never see a doctor." Mr Lemon, who has eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, expressed his fondness for fish and chips as his second choice of meal. He said: "You can put custard with apples, gooseberries, any fruit from the garden." Upon reaching his centenary, Mr Lemon was presented with a special Bird's custard jug. His mantelpiece boasts three Royal correspondences – a letter from Queen Elizabeth II for his 100th birthday, alongside two from King Charles and Camilla commemorating his 105th and 106th milestones. When asked about his secret to longevity, the Ealing-born centenarian advised: "Everything in moderation. I'm so lucky and I'm quite happy." But he's not a fan of all new innovations. "The thing that has changed the most is video calls," he said. "I can't work it myself. I'm a bit old fashioned." Mr Lemon and his late wife Doreen, who passed away in 1999, married in 1944 and had three children together: Michael, Mary, and Richard. Tragically, Mary succumbed to hepatitis caused by polluted seawater at the age of ten. Youngest son, Richard, now 73, reminisced: "When we were growing up, we always had fresh fruit and veg - no one froze things in the 50s. Dad is a believer in that you should always have pudding and he's had custard as long as I can remember." Asda has awarded Mr Lemon with a year-long bounty of complimentary custard. A spokesperson for Asda said: "We'll all be taking a leaf out of Mr Lemon's book and enjoying more custard going forward, we hope he enjoys a free year's supply on us. "When life gives you lemons, add custard!" Mr Lemon's loved ones confirmed: "He's absolutely delighted. He'll probably put it all under his bed."
Scottish Sun
7 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Terrified mum shares the chilling nursery snap of her toddler that saved his life – but can you spot the hidden killer?
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LAURA Davies claims a photo of her son playing at nursery "saved his life" by revealing a potentially fatal hidden cancer. The picture caught a strange cloudiness in two-year-old Sidney's eye, which was actually a sign of retinoblastoma, a rare eye cancer that can affect young children. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Laura Davies says a snap of her son having fun at nursery saved his life Credit: Kennedy News 6 Sidney was diagnosed with retinoblastoma on May 19 and had to have his eye removed Credit: Kennedy News 6 Laura said her husband Tom Davies with their two sons Credit: Kennedy News "I've got to be honest I probably wouldn't have noticed it [without the picture]," the 39-year-old mum-of-two from Flintshire, said. Laura said her husband Tom Davies, 39, first noticed a strange cloudiness in their two-year-old son Sidney's left eye in April when it hit the light. "He was basically sat in his high chair opposite the French doors in our kitchen and my husband was like, 'his eye doesn't look right," she recalled. The mum searched online for information relating to cloudy eyes but all that came up was information about cataracts so she just made a mental note to keep tabs. But when Sidney's nursery took a snap of him as he enjoyed a day in the sensory room, the camera flash revealed his left eye was cloudy compared to his right. "It was almost like it was reflecting the light, it's really hard to describe. It was like his eye wasn't there, it was like a mirror," Laura said. After a visit to her GP and Specsavers, Sidney was eventually referred to Birmingham Children's Hospital and had an ultrasound. He was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a cancer which starts in the retina, the inner layer in the back of the eye, on May 19. Doctors diagnose around 40 to 50 children with retinoblastoma in the UK every year, according to Cancer Research UK. Almost 99 to 100 out of every 100 children diagnosed survive for five years or more after they are diagnosed. Vision Express appointment saves life of baby girl diagnosed with deadly eye cancer, retinoblastoma "It was horrendous," the mum said. "We were so worried." Docs decided the best course of action would be to remove the eye and brave Sidney underwent the op on 27 May. Initially this really concerned Laura. "All the thoughts run through your head of how they are going to cope in school and kids are horrible and things like that. "But I was also looking at it [the eye] and thinking, 'I just want it out' because you could literally see it [the cancer]." She said it was "so scary" to watch their young so endure so many operations. "I think we went into mum and dad mode," she explained. "You kind of just get through it. 6 The picture caught a strange cloudiness in the two-year-old's eye Credit: Kennedy News 6 The tot is doing very well without his eye Credit: Kennedy News "Afterwards when we found out that he was okay and he didn't need any chemotherapy then it all hit me if I'm honest. "I burst out crying [when he got the all clear]. It was such a relief." Sidney currently has a temporary plastic shell fitted in his eye socket called a conformer but is undergoing another operation in July to have a prosthetic eye fitted. Laura said docs also discovered Sidney's retina was torn and had come away from the back of his eye, which can cause vision loss. They were not sure how long it had been since he had been able to see out of his left eye. "I don't know whether it was bothering him before, whether it was blurry. We'll never know really," the mum said. 'A new lease of life' The tot will have to wear protective goggles when he plays sport but other than that Laura hopes her son will be largely unaffected by the prosthetic. "In terms of the effects on him it's been quite minimal because he's already dealt with that himself, not being able to see out of that eye," she explained. "He will go down the steps very carefully unlike my other son who is older and who's like a bull at a gate. "You sort of think back and think, 'maybe that's why?' but he's a happy boy, he showed no signs of this. We didn't notice that he couldn't see out of his eye." She added: "It's funny because people have said when they see him on the school run and things that he's got a new lease of life. Laura's husband is taking part in a sponsored walk up and down Moel Famau, the highest hill in the Clwydian Range, 12 times in 12 hours with family and friends to raise money for Birmingham Children's hospital. The have launched a JustGiving page, wich has already raised £955 of it's £1000 target. The distance will be around 40 miles in total and Laura said she and their two children are planning to join him for the last summit. Symptoms of retinoblastoma Most children with retinoblastoma seem fine. But two common signs that parents first notice in their child are that: they have a white glow or white reflection in the centre of their eye (pupil) - this is also known as leukocoria their eyes are not looking in the same direction (a squint) - also known as strabismus The pupil might look white, like a cat's eye reflecting light. This is sometimes noticed in photos when a flash is used. The pupil appears white rather than the typical red colour. Other less common symptoms might include: you or the school noticing your child can't see properly inflammation and reddening of their eye uncontrollable movement of their eye from side to side (nystagmus) Children do not usually complain of any pain. In very few cases, a child might be referred to a specialist children's doctor (paediatrician) because they are: not gaining weight developing normally During their tests, the abnormal retinoblastoma gene usually shows up in a blood test. Specsavers Broughton Park Ophthalmic director Kelly Gibson said: "We're incredibly grateful that Laura attended with her son, Sidney, to see us after being alerted by a concern from his nursery. "It's reassuring to know that I was able to ensure he received the urgent care he needed. "We're relieved that his condition was caught early, and he received treatment in a timely manner. "Stories like this are a powerful reminder of how important it is to attend for an eye examination if you ever notice a change or feel that something isn't quite right with your eyes. "It also highlights the importance of eye examinations for children, whether it is due to a concern or a routine review, we look after all ages. "An eye examination can sometimes uncover signs of more serious health conditions, and acting early can make all the difference."
