A 100-year-old who loves to sing said the highlight of his long life has been his 75-year marriage to his wife.

Jack Manklow sang along to old tunes as he entered his birthday party at Amherst Court Care Home in Palmerston Road, Chatham yesterday (June 20) and reminisced about the best moment of the last 10 decades.

“Learning to sequin dance with my wife,” he told KentOnline. “We used to go to tea dances together.”

The dad-of-two recalled how another young girl taught him to dance, before his eye was taken by future wife, Nellie.

“Nellie was in the band who played in a hall and a girl called Iris and I would go along there. Iris taught me how to dance.”

He remembered: “I’m not into films but one day I really fancied going to see this particular film. I went to Iris’ house to ask her along but she said she was going with her mum.

“We had a bit of an argument as she was always going places with her mum and I walked off back home.

“I spotted the girl from the band walking along behind me with a friend and asked if I could carry her bag. I ended up walking them home and asked if either of them fancied going to see the film.

“Nellie jumped in and said yes without giving her friend a chance,” Jack laughed.

Later on the bus, he said the two spotted Iris walking past and ducked in their seats so she would not spot them.

After the date, Jack said Iris and Nellie had “a bit of a squabble” over Jack with Nellie declaring “He’s mine, for keeps”.

The pair got engaged on Nellie’s birthday on March 20, 1944 just two days before he was called up for the air force.

Jack said he found out later that Iris never got married.

“She told my mum she couldn’t have the man she wanted,” he recalled, with a twinkle in his eye.

Jack hated the air force and was demobbed to the army after just a few months, where he served for four years.

During this time he married Nellie in 1945.

He said he didn’t see any fighting but he did learn to drive and cook and spent one year serving in Germany.

When he returned Jack worked for a local diesel company for 40 years making batteries.

Jack and Iris lived in Rochester before moving into The Poplars car home in Maidstone in 2017. He then moved into Amherst Court in 2022 after she passed away.

Jack was joined for his special celebration by his two sons, John, who lives in Walderslade and has three sons, and Eric, who moved to Australia 22 years ago and has one daughter.

And his secret to a long life. “Keep taking the tablets.”