Denmead's Boris Mayfield celebrates 101st birthday with huge tea party

Made of strong stuff, trooper Boris celebrated his birthday at Denmead Community Centre with friends and family, despite being told just months ago that he had ‘weeks’ to live.

On March 12, he was joined by carers, church friends, neighbours, his niece and the family of his former paper boy and best friend who he’s stayed in touch with for more than 30 years.

Organised by close friend, Daniel Seymour, everything was laid on with a cake, birthday balloons and an enormous buffet, with the party being treated like an open house for guests to pop in and out.

Boris, from Denmead, says: ‘Once I got over the nervousness this morning, it’s been marvellous. I haven’t got long to remember it all, but I shall and I’ll probably write it all down for my friend, Daniel.

‘It’s a wonderful feeling for all my friends to be here. Even the fact that I haven’t got much longer to live, I keep going somehow.’

Boris was diagnosed with cancer of the spine in September and was taken ‘very, very ill’.

However, this hasn’t stopped him from keeping up his routine to walk a mile every day, hoeing the garden, cooking dinner and losing himself in his love for drawing.

‘I used to be able to walk three or four miles a day,’ he says. ‘Now I can walk just about a mile – but that’s not bad for my age.’

Born on March 4, 1921, Boris was born in London to Herbert and Gwendoline and was one of five boys.

His parents also adopted a girl, Tracy Brown, who is now his closest remaining relative.

Boris grew up in Hillingdon before being indentured as a junior architect and was eventually drafted to work on drawing Harbour Defence Motor Launches during the Second World War.

The centenarian has a huge community of friends that look out for him, including his trusted paper boy and best friend – who more than 30 years on – regularly stay in touch.

Daniel Seymour, from Waterlooville, and Jeff Martin, from Denmead, say Boris became their ‘father figure’.

Daniel says: ‘He was our prime defender. He very much became a friend of all of our families and we’d hold gatherings across our houses even once we’d moved out.

‘He was someone who would bother to listen and a person you could come to, he was that guiding figure. My mum was initially a bit confused but those people very quickly came on side and thought this is wonderful.

‘Again he just defies the odds. The doctors don’t know how he seems to be immune to everything and ploughs through everything.

‘He’s naturally very forward-looking all the time. He’s very quick to give up old technology and try out new stuff. Jeff says Boris’ secret is ‘never giving up’.

‘He refuses to sit there and just do nothing. He’s always keeping active. He’s my father figure definitely.

‘There’s so many things you wouldn’t expect an older man to do or conform to. He never fitted the mould of an older man. We needed him as much as he needed us.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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