By RichardYoule | Posted: March 06, 2016
HE is a retired dentist and "semi-professional" old person's visitor, but many people will know 100-year-old Jock Stares as that sprightly fellow on a scooter.
Leap year baby Jock reached three figures on February 29, although he preferred to think of himself as turning 25.
His current steed is a Yamaha 125. "It's a wonderful little thing," said Jock, of Cambridge Road, Langland. "I can fly to the village and get my shopping done, and visit my friends.
"My legs are not as good as they used to be — I can still walk, but can't go for long walks like I used to."
Jock said he nevertheless considered himself lucky to be in good shape at his age.
"I have had a very happy life," he said. "I had a wonderful childhood and a wonderfully happy marriage with the girl of my dreams."
Jock's wife, Babs, died 16 years ago. His son Roger, three grandchildren and five of his seven great-grandchildren joined in the centenary celebrations at a family bash in Bishopston on Saturday.
"I was celebrating all week with different people!" said Jock.
Friends of his who threw a party for him included Muriel Parker, who said: "Jock is an amazing man, and everyone loves him. Babs was wonderful too, and a very beautiful lady."
Jock lived in Townhill as a boy. His love affair with motorbikes began when his father bought him an old banger of a bike from a scrapyard.
He attended Swansea Grammar School, some two years behind Dylan Thomas.
Speaking three years ago, Jock said: "We were all full of devilment like he (Dylan) was. He was clever in that all his thoughts he used to write down. We never did. We were too busy getting into mischief in other ways.
"His father was our English master. He was a wonderful character, very strict, a disciplinarian. He used to sweep into the classroom in cap and gown. There were about 30 of us mucking about. It took three or four minutes to settle down. 'You little swines', he used to say."
Nowadays Jock visits friends, some of whom are in old people's homes, every day.
"If there is a piano I can get them all singing," he said. "It is an amazing thing — with music you can get through to people with severe dementia. It gives them so much pleasure.
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