Bill, who has been married to his wife for more than 75 years, was born in Mile End, east London, before being evacuated to the Cotswolds with his siblings during World War Two.

“In hindsight, it was the best two and a half years of my life. I really took to the place and I became a country boy,” he said.

“I was away from the war as such, and I disliked London, so going away into the country and being on a farm and handling animals appealed to me.”

These days, Bill enjoys the quiet life in Woodbridge, volunteering at the Long Shed community centre and making marquetry bookmarks and Viking chess boards.

He recently celebrated his 98th birthday and said he was hopeful he would still be doing his press-ups when he hits 100.

“The key to long life is getting good genes,” he said.

“I’ve had good genes passed down to me, and obviously they’re working well.”