Owen Filer doesn’t chase complicated wellness trends, run marathons, or count vitamins. At 107 years old, the British World War II veteran says his favorite recipe for a long life is far simpler—and a good deal tastier. On Friday, Filer celebrated his 107th birthday, and he told the BBC that he still makes a point of eating fish and chips as often as he can, usually with a “genuine” piece of cod or hake. “Fish and chips, a full meal, a scoop full of chips and a fish,” he said with the kind of quiet certainty that comes from a century of knowing exactly what he likes. While the deep-fried classic might not be what doctors usually recommend, Filer says he has “never overeaten,” and that simple moderation has served him well. Born in 1919, he is believed to be the oldest man in Wales, and his birthday was marked with celebrations that included old friends, fellow veterans, and a surprise screening at a historic cinema. But through all the attention, Filer remained characteristically humble, insisting that the real secret to reaching such a remarkable age isn’t any particular food or habit—it’s just the way he has always chosen to live.
When people ask Filer how he made it to 107, he doesn’t give them a polished answer or a health hack. He simply shrugs and says he has no secret recipe. “How I got here I’ll never know, but I’ve met a lot of people who have admired me and asked me how I do it,” he told the outlet. “No secret recipe, except that I always worked all my life.” For Filer, longevity isn’t something to be chased or strategized; it’s the natural result of showing up, doing your duty, and not overcomplicating things. “You just live properly, and I’ve always done it,” he added. That phrase—living properly—carries a lot of weight coming from a man who has lived through the Great Depression, served his country in war, raised a family, and watched the world change beyond recognition. It doesn’t mean being perfect or having everything figured out. It means having a sense of responsibility, treating people with respect, and not wasting time on self-indulgence. It also means knowing when to enjoy life, which is where the fish and chips come in. Filer has never deprived himself of the meal he loves, but he has also never let it become an excess. That balance, between discipline and enjoyment, seems to be the quiet philosophy that has guided him through more than a century of living.
Family has always been at the heart of Filer’s long life. He is a father of four, a grandfather of ten, and a great-grandfather of fifteen, a sprawling family tree that would make anyone proud. But Filer admits that when he was young, he never imagined he would live to see 107. “I thought it would be a better world I would be living in, but I didn’t think I’d ever make it,” he said. Growing up, old age was not something he or his family had the luxury of thinking about. “We had no food, we had no money,” he remembered. Born just after the end of the First World War, Filer came of age in a Britain that was still healing from one conflict and heading toward another. The hardships of his early years shaped him in ways that never faded. He learned to make do with little, to appreciate what he had, and to keep moving forward even when the future looked uncertain. Those lessons stayed with him through the war, through the hard years afterward, and into a long and peaceful old age. When he says he didn’t expect to live so long, there is no bitterness in his words—only gratitude and a kind of wonder that a boy from a poor family could end up being celebrated as a living piece of history.
Filer’s military service is a central chapter in his story. He served with the Royal Welch Fusiliers, a historic infantry regiment of the British Army that was founded in 1689, before later becoming a military police officer. During the Second World War, he was stationed in India, and he was there when the war with Japan came to an end on VJ Day in 1945. That moment—the sudden, overwhelming relief of peace after years of global conflict—must have felt impossible to put into words. Filer was part of a generation that carried enormous burdens, and his service did not go unnoticed. The Armed Forces charity SSAFA honored his military career with a commemorative shield at a celebration held in his honor on Monday. The event was also marked by a surprise screening of the 1955 comedy “One Good Turn” at Market Hall Cinema in Brynmawr, which is billed as the oldest cinema in Wales. It was a fitting tribute for a man who has always loved a good story, and it brought together people who wanted to show their appreciation for everything he has given to his country. For Filer, though, the fuss was a bit much. He never saw himself as a hero or a symbol; he was just a man who did his job.
One of the people who helped organize Filer’s celebration was Darren Foote, a fellow veteran who has come to know Filer well. Foote described him as a “down-to-earth guy” who genuinely doesn’t understand why people are making such a big deal about his birthday. “He doesn’t get it at all,” Foote told the outlet. There is something endearing about that. After more than a century of life, Filer still sees himself as ordinary, even as the world around him insists he is extraordinary. He doesn’t dwell on his age or spend time thinking about the past in a way that weighs him down. Instead, he lives in the present, finding joy in simple routines and small pleasures. Foote said that Filer rarely seems to think about how old he is, and that might be the most valuable lesson of all. Age is just a number, but purpose is something you create every day. Filer’s ability to stay grounded, to remain grateful, and to keep a sense of humor about himself is part of what makes him so beloved by the people around him. The celebration at the cinema was as much about honoring his service as it was about thanking him for being exactly who he is.
Perhaps the most inspiring detail about Owen Filer is the way he starts each day. According to Darren Foote, Filer still gets up in the morning, puts on a clean shirt, puts on his tie, cleans his shoes, and gets up with purpose. It’s a small ritual, but it speaks to something profound. He doesn’t let age define him. He doesn’t wake up thinking about his limitations. He wakes up thinking about what the day holds and meets it with dignity and intention. “I think we can all take a leaf out of his book on that one, for sure,” Foote said. In a world that often feels chaotic and uncertain, Filer’s example is a reminder that a meaningful life is built on steady habits, kindness, and a willingness to keep going. He worked all his life, he loved his family, he served his country, and he never stopped enjoying a good plate of fish and chips. There may not be a secret recipe to living to 107, but if there is, Owen Filer has found it: live properly, stay grounded, and always get up with purpose. At 107, he is more than the oldest man in Wales. He is a testament to the power of a life lived well.
