Lockdown didn’t spoil the party this week as Michael MacPherson celebrated his 100th birthday at Ellan Vannin nursing home.
While his birthday celebrations may have been toned down due to the Covid-19 lockdown, Mr MacPherson has certainly lived an eventful life.
Last year when Isle of Man Newspapers interviewed him for his 99th birthday, he modestly detailed his life extraordinary life.
Attending King William’s school, he later met the future King George VI who he said was ’one of the boys’ at an officers’ training camp.
He was accepted into Oxford before telling his father (former Second Deemster Bruce MacPherson) he had joined the army instead.
He told his father: ’We know what’s going to happen. Never mind Oxford, there is going to be a war so I best join and get trained up as part of the Manx Regiment.’
Once in the army, Mr MacPherson was sent to Africa in 1940 to fight as part of the British anti-aircraft ’ack ack’ forces.
During this time, the men fought alongside the British Indian Army, mostly comprised of Sikhs who he said would wash thoroughly before every battle because they ’wanted to meet their maker in the very best of order’.
After a number of years, the Manx Regiment returned to Britain and joined in the preparations for the Normandy landings.
During the war, he met his future wife Pam when he asked her father for permission to use a cottage on his land as a headquarters for a small number of anti-aircraft gunners who were stationed for a brief period in Dorset.
The pair settled on the island after Mr MacPherson enrolled on one of the government’s courses which were designed to help soldiers find a trade after the war.
’I didn’t know what I wanted to do but I had met the lovely Pam and I knew I didn’t want to go into law like my father’, said Mr MacPherson.
After obtaining the lease on land in Santon and borrowing some money from his father, he began life as a farmer.
Mr MacPherson celebrated his 100th birthday by talking to his family on an iPad which was donated to the home to help residents keep in contact with their loved ones.
Irene Devereau, who works at the home, said: ’Michael’s cake was organised by his daughter Jane and when she ordered it from Shoprite they contacted her and said they would donate it to him because of it being such a special celebration. Not only Michael enjoyed it, so did all the other residents.
’Michael had calls from his daughters Jane and Fiona and they also gave us some lovely champagne so we could raise a glass to his health.
’He had calls from his family in England and Australia and a visit from the police.
’Mike Griffiths and his fellow officer came to sing happy birthday to him and Mike said he will return to talk to Michael properly about his life and adventures not only about when he was in the Second World War serving with the Manx Regiment but about his life.’