A grandfather is gearing up to start university on the same day as his grandson.

Kerry Griffiths, 67, of Huntsman’s Corner, will start a history course at Glyndwr University while 18-year-old Luke Statham is to embark on his French, Spanish and management course at Leicester University.

Mr Griffiths, who worked for Halifax Bank in Wrexham for 40 years, said he was “excited” about them both starting university on September 25 and that Luke, of Holt Road, “could not believe it” when he heard.

“It is unique, starting on exactly the same day. Of course he will have a Freshers’ Week. I will have a week where I settle in – I’m a bit too old for Freshers’ Week!”

The history buff, who last studied the subject at Ruabon Grammar School in the 1960s, told how he decided to join the course after seeing a stall by Glyndwr University at Wrexham County Borough Museum and Archives, where he works as a volunteer.

He added: ”I looked at the information and said ‘Am I too old?’ and the gentleman said ‘you’re never too old’.”

Mr Griffiths said he was looking forward to covering social history topics on the course.

“I’m really looking forward to it because the people there are my age and some are older than me – it’s a similar age group,” he added.

“But we will be attending classes with younger people so we can learn from them and they can learn from us. I like dealing with younger people, like I do in the museum.”

Mr Griffiths added that his grandson, who studied at the Maelor School in Penley, was just as excited as he was to be starting university.

“But it will be different for him away from home, whereas I have just got to walk up the hill, but he’s really looking forward to it – he’s got a really nice room in the halls of residence and he’s made a couple of new friends there already who are doing the same course as him,” Mr Griffiths added.