A racket stringer who has worked at Wimbledon and the Queen's Club Championships for some of the world's best tennis players, celebrated his 90th birthday with a game.

When Brian Jarrett was 10 years old, he picked up a racket for the first time, and has scarcely been without one in his hand in the following eight decades.

The former marine insurance company personnel manager started stringing in his 50s when he took early retirement. Before his 35-year career in insurance, he had served two years in the army, and after his retirement, had worked as a personnel manager in the West End in a job he "hated" for two years before finding his calling in stringing rackets.

Brian worked for the company Bow Brand, which was responsible for stringing rackets at several different tennis tournaments at the time and he worked with the likes of American former world number one players, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi and also British legend Tim Henman.

His team of 12 to 14 stringers would tighten and restring tennis rackets between matches to maintain the tension for the players. For many, especially at a professional level, Brian's job could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

The Bromley man spent 10 years doing this at Wimbledon during the three-week championships.

He said: "I was also lucky enough to be asked to string at the Queen's tournament, and I did about 10 years there.

"I've strung at Wembley, all over the place, really. I just enjoy it. I still do the odd racket, even now."

He started off his birthday on October 7, with a tennis session at the David Lloyd leisure club in Dartford, with his pals who he regularly plays alongside.

The 90-year-old had taken three weeks off playing following a medical procedure which "proved more trying" than was expected, but is now firmly back in action.

When asked how he has kept fit and healthy all these years, Brian said: "I just keep playing tennis. I've always played tennis."

Brian followed up the match with a group lunch with his friends at the leisure club, before heading to his grandson's pub, The Stanhope Arms in Brasted near Westerham, for a family celebration.

He has been married to his wife Brenda for 42 years. Between them, they have four children, and now six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

The party was attended by around 25 friends and family.

Brian said: "There was super food and a little drink helped the party go with a swing. Feedback suggests a good time was had by all!"

One of the oldest tennis players in Britain was Tom Hicks, who played at Notton Tennis Club near Wakefield, and was considered to be the country's oldest amateur tennis ace at the age of 99 before he died in February 2021 aged 101.

Gordon Burdfield, from Hampshire, was also considered one of the UK's oldest tennis players at the age of 93 in 2015, and at the time played the sport three times a week.

Kevin Court, from Leatherhead, Surrey, said that the Lawn Tennis Association labelled him the "UK's oldest tennis player" when he was 91 in 2018.

So great-grandad Brian, who still plays tennis regularly on the courts in Dartford, is certainly not far behind.