THE OLDEST man to be born in Fishguard celebrates his 105th birthday today, Monday, June 10.

Emlyn Morgan was born in Trecenni, just outside Lowertown, in 1914. One of his early memories is the rescue of the Dutch Schooner, the Hermina, just off Needle Rock in 1920, when he was six years old.

Mr Morgan was one of the crowd of people who ran to the cliffs above the shipwreck. His father then descended the cliffs, with the help of a rope, and rescued one of the stranded crew members. He received a gold watch from the Dutch royal family as thanks for his heroism.

One of nine siblings, Mr Morgan moved to Clive Road, Fishguard at the age of eight. He attended Fishguard Junior School (the now demolished Girls and Boys School) leaving to become an apprentice for Western Welsh Buses and then a bus driver in Carmarthen.

He left them to work for British Rail at Fishguard Harbour in a variety of roles, ending up doing clerical work.

He met his wife, Mair, in Trefin and the couple went on to have three children, living in the village for a while before moving back to Fishguard.

He has four grandchildren and four great grandchildren living all over the globe, from Dubai to the United States of America.

Mr Morgan now lives just down the road from his daughter, Marian, in Stratford Upon Avon.

"He and I talk about living in north Pembrokeshire all the time," she said. "He loves it; family history, world history and politics are all topics he enjoys.

"He is losing his sight now but enjoys listening to the radio and listening to political programmes on the television.

Mr Morgan's family attributes his long life to healthy eating and exercise.

"He always had an allotment as well as a garden and would grow all out own vegetables," said Marian. "He had a healthy lifestyle and always walked to work."