People
Is He The Oldest Man in Europe Today?
Nazar Singh, 110
EMMA GLANFIELD
The world’s oldest man, Alexander Imich, born in 1903, died last Sunday In Manhattan, New York, USA. Amongst those now vying for the title is Sikh-Briton, Sardar Nazar Singh, who on the same day turned 110 and may already be the oldest man in Europe. [There are scores of women, however, who are older, the oldest one being in Japan at 116.]
A great-grandfather who has just celebrated his 110th birthday may be the oldest man in Europe – and believes a drop of whisky, good food and a loving family is the key to living a long life.
Nazar Singh, from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom, has lived through two world wars, the Titanic disaster, the Great Depression, the first moon landing and the invention of colour television.
Born in Punjab in 1904, Nazar Singh has lived in England for the last 50 years and in his Sunderland home for the last 15 years.
The centenarian, who has nine children, 34 grandchildren and 63 great grandchildren, may now be the oldest living person in Europe.
He said: ‘I feel very good and very happy. I still feel fit and strong.
‘I pray to the Lord to take me when he wants to.
‘I have got a good family behind me and that is why I have got that far. I wouldn’t have lasted this long if they hadn’t looked after me.
‘The secret to my long life is a good family, good food and happiness.
‘Eat healthy food and look after each other. Family need to look after their elders.’
Nazar Singh, who celebrated his most recent birthday on Sunday, was sent a letter from the Queen on his 100th birthday and now receives one every year.
It is understood there are currently only two men in the world who are older than him - Sakari Momoi and Yasutaro Koide, who are both Japanese and 111-years-old.
Being born into a farming family, Nazar Singh grew up with a love of the outdoors and was a keen gardener right up until the age of 107.
He has never had an operation, has some of his original teeth and has no problems with his hearing.
He likes drinking milk and almond oil, regularly eats fruit including grapes, bananas, plums, apples and kiwi and has a drop of whisky every night. He also sleeps for ten hours every night.
After his wife Narajan Kaur, who he married in 1932, died 11 years ago, he moved in with son Chain Singh in a large semi-detached property.
His son, who has four children and nine grandchildren, said: ‘My father is really happy, he doesn’t worry about anything.
‘Now we are caring for him like he cared for us when we were younger.
‘We hope he has many more happy years to come.’
Nazar was raised in a small village in Punjab and from the age of 10 helped his family to grow sugar cane, cotton, corn, wheat and later chilli, peanuts, potatoes and rice.
He had two sisters and four brothers who have all since passed away.
He met his wife Narajan, who lived in the neighbouring village, in 1932 and they became husband and wife in an arranged marriage.
At the age of 30,Nazar Singh and his younger brother Naranjan, travelled to a different part of the subcontinent - Quetta in Sindh, which is now part of Pakistan - to find work.
They spent a year building bunkers for the army in the Second World War before travelling back to their home village to work on the farm.
Nazar Singh has six sons and three daughters: Reshem, now 77, Bachen, now 75, Karter, now 70, Sohan, now 66, Chain, now 61, Mohan, now 60, Piara, now 55, Swarn, now 53 and Harbans, now 50.
They remained at the family farm in Punjab until Nazar Singh travelled to England in 1965 to join his eldest daughter who was living in Walsall in the West Midlands.
He started working as a labourer and bought a house in Croft Street, Walsall in 1969, just before his wife and three sons joined him in England.
He was promoted to the position of moulder and remained in that job until he retired and moved to Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, in 1989.
WORLD WARS, 9/11 AND DISCOVERY OF PENICILLIN: NAZAR SINGH'S LIFETIME
Nazar Singh has lived through some of the biggest historical events and disasters ever.
He has lived through both world wars – as a child during the First World War between 1914 and 1918 and as a man in his late thirties for the Second World War between 1939 and 1945.
He has also lived through other major events in history including the Russian Revolution (1917), the Spanish flu pandemic (1918), the Spanish Civil War (1936), the Pearl Harbour bombings (1941), the start of the Korean War (1950) and the Great Depression.
He was also alive for the Titanic disaster (1912), when man first landed on the moon (1969) and for the US 9/11 terrorist attacks (2001) and the 7/7 London bombings (2005).
He has lived through the introduction of number plates (in 1904), colour television (which came into full effect in the United Kingdom in 1967), and the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming (1928).
When he was born, Edward VII was on the throne and during his lifetime he has since seen four different monarchs succeed the throne including George V, Edward VIII, George VI and the current Queen Elizabeth II.
At the time of his birth, Arthur Balfour was the Conservative Prime Minister and he has since seen 25 British prime ministers come into office in his time.
[Courtesy: The Daily Mail. Edited for sikhchic.com]
June 13, 2014