AT THE grand age of 100, Dai Tudor must be in pole position for the title of Wrexham’s oldest motorist.
The sprightly centenarian from Holt relishes getting behind the wheel of his Fiat Panda to drive around the area and meet his relatives.
Born in Gwersyllt in January 1913, Dai has clocked up more than 80 years of motoring and is still going strong.
“Right from a very young age I have been fascinated by cars and motorbikes,” said Dai. “I used to love taking them apart and fixing them.
“I still drive regularly each week and like to take everything at a steady speed.”
Talking about the secret of his remarkable longevity as a motorist, Dai said: “It is important to be careful and look after your health.”
Dai enjoyed a close association with machinery throughout his working life.
Among his jobs were stints as a driver for North Wales Power and British Celanese as well as a forklift truck operator at British Tissues.
During the Second World War he served with a number of units including the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, the Indian Mechanical Engineers and the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and rose to the rank of Warrant Officer First Class.
On leaving the Army in 1946 Dai received an excellent reference from officers, who said: “Throughout his service Warrant Officer Tudor has proved to have a vast knowledge of mechanical engineering, having been in charge of a complete workshop many times.
“He is an intelligent type of person and very adaptable.”
Talking about his wartime experiences Dai said: “Obviously things were very hard.
Everything was so scarce, you had to make the most of whatever there was available.”
One way in which his family back home helped keep Dai’s morale up while he was posted in India was to send him copies of the big Leader, enabling him to catch up on all the local news.
Dai and his wife Phyllis, who died seven years ago, had four children. Daughter Marlene Ayling, of Woodridge Avenue in Marford, said: “He is a marvellous dad, so kind and considerate. He is interested in football, particularly Wrexham and likes to watch Wales play rugby.
“He has always been very good with mechanical things and is doing so well.”