Terry Spring Court resident celebrates his 100th birthday (From Redditch Advertiser)

Terry Spring Court resident celebrates his 100th birthday

12:00pm Thursday 18th October 2012 in Local

A MAN whose family business was well known in Redditch has just celebrated his 100th birthday.

Leslie Marriott, who lives at Terry Spring Court, turned 100 on Saturday, October 12.

He was born in Birmingham in 1912 and lived in Shirley until he moved to Terry Spring Court to be closer to his family.

Mr Marriott was youngest of four children, and had two sisters and one brother.

He had various jobs including being a delivery boy on a bike, working in a leather factory and working in a factory making essential hospital equipment during the Second World War.

He started a family business with a market stall and was one of the founder stalls in Redditch market when it first set up. He became very successful and the business grew, resulting in him having the largest stall in the market.

The family business expanded in later years to include a counter in the Redditch Food Hall, supermarket shops in Sparkhill and Studley and a transport business in Shirley.

Mr Marriott was married but his wife sadly passed away in 1982. Their two sons have also died. He has several grandchildren and great grandchildren.

He was keen on keeping active and well and used to cycle and weight lift when he was young. Later he became a keen golfer and was very successful at bowls, winning many trophies.

He is still very active now, participating in lots of activities at Terry Spring Court, including dancing.

He is well travelled having visited many places across Europe, America, China, South Africa, Sierre Leone, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Seychelles to name a few.

He attributes getting to 100 by being active, keeping busy and clean living.

For his birthday he had lunch with family and friends then in the evening enjoyed a traditional tea dance party.