A former draftsman who has lived in Willesden since his birth has turned 101.

Keith Routley was born on December 10, 1920, to Henry and Louise Routley on Crouch Road - 200 yards from where he lives now.

He spent his life working in electrical manufacturing in the area, including during the war and even survived the partial bombing of his house during the Battle for Britain.

He said: “I consider myself highly blessed and I thank the almighty in particular for retaining my full faculties.”

Upon his 100th birthday last year, Keith received letters from the Queen and from the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, organised by his friend Abaigh Wheatley, 30, who he met through an Age UK face-to-face befriending scheme in 2018 and has been seeing once a week since.

Keith said: “Abaigh is a popular person and I feel very fortunate to know her. I will be seeing her at Christmas which will no doubt make my day.”

Abaigh, a Kilburn freelance translator, also celebrated his 101st birthday with him.

She said: “It’s not very common to meet such an elderly man and he is so interesting. We have similar interests because we are both keen cyclists and historians.

“We chat and listen to music or watch TV - he has amazing footage from London in the 30s, 40s and 50s because he was an amateur filmmaker in his youth and would ride around with a camera attached to his bike, almost like an early GoPro.”

Brent & Kilburn Times: Keith RoutleyKeith Routley (Image: Abaigh Wheatley)

Studying family histories is Keith’s main occupation nowadays and he estimates he has done such research for 100 people.

Keith has traced his own family back to the 18th century, discovering he comes from a family of Somerset farmers and that his great-great-grandfather was sentenced to death for burgling, but managed to escape this fate by going to Australia wherein he was then hanged for murder.

He said: “Researching family histories is a reason for me to get up in the morning - it can be a very interesting hobby.”

Reflecting on the changes in society since he was born, Keith noted it was hard to believe that when he was younger the saying “little boys should be seen but not heard” was a reality, with school floggings and canings.

Finally, thinking about difficult moments in his life, Keith credited open-air bowling with helping him get out of depression following his mother’s death.

He said: “I’m a sensitive person and I felt nobody was going to help me but myself.

“Bowls got me out again in the fresh air, playing a sport which I’ve always found was one of the friendliest on earth - this pulled me around.”