A pint of Guinness is the secret to a long life according to 100 year old Billy

Born and bred in Lisburn, Billy spent most of his life living in the Hillhall area.

In his younger years he was a talented ballroom dancer and regularly attended dances at the local Royal British Legion club.

He had a variety of hobbies and interests, including keeping racing pigeons and enjoying a bet on the horses.

Billy was also very skilled with his hands and could turn his hand to almost anything.

He worked for the electric board for 26 years and was also a builder, contributing to the building of the schools in Bangor.

He was a big lover of music and would often be found entertaining others in the local pubs.

When asked the secret to a long life, Billy simply said: “You could never beat a pint of Guinness.”

Another one of his popular sayings is “a big bowl of porridge a day keeps the doctor away”

Staff at Nicholson House Nursing Home were delighted to celebrate the milestone birthday with one of the home’s most popular residents,

“Billy is an absolute pleasure to be around - always kind, full of stories and has the best sense of humour,” said one of the members of staff.

“He is full of character and charm and is a joy to care for,” commented another member of staff, whilst another simply said he was “a true gentleman”.

Everyone would like to wish Billy a very happy 100th birthday.