D-Day veteran Tony's secret to staying sharp at 105

He is one of Britain's oldest men, having turned 105 last Sunday.

But Normandy veteran and great grandfather Tony Johnson credits reading the Daily Mail every day with helping to keep his mind razor sharp.

Each morning, Mr Johnson peruses his favourite newspaper – starting with the front and back pages, then reading the share prices like a City trader, before turning to the crossword.

Mr Johnson has read the Daily Mail since 1961, the same year he and late wife Myra bought their home in Worsley, Greater Manchester – where he still lives - for £2,000 'plus £250 for gardening equipment'.

Speaking yesterday, he said: 'I've had the Daily Mail ever since. The stock market is one of the first things I look at. Whitbread was down 21 pence this morning. That's me 620p down. On paper, mind you.'

On current affairs, he bemoans the 'me, me, me' side of society – adding: 'don't get me started on politicians, God in heaven above'.

For light relief, he completes the crossword and turns to sudoku.

Despite his years, Mr Johnson also has an iPad and computer, posts on Facebook and uses online banking.

Mr Johnson – who goes by his middle name – developed his interest in stocks and shares in defiance of his maths teacher, who mocked his first name, Eustace, which he was called after an Edwardian racehorse owner, Eustace Loder.

He said: 'My maths teacher used to call me 'useless Eustace Anthony'.

Mr Johnson proved the teacher wrong, passing exams in quantity surveying at night-school after World War Two, then working his way up in the construction industry.

Mr Johnson, called up in 1940, experienced his first wartime battles after being transported to the Middle East on requisitioned cruise liner the Queen Mary, which seemed 'the size of a mountain.'

Crammed six men to a cabin, he was 'sick as a dog' as the ship moved towards Iceland, then turned south in a gale, sailing around Cape Horn to Taofik, south of the Suez Canal.

Describing the 1942 Battle of El Alamein, where he faced Italian lines, he said: 'It started with a barrage of 25 pounders (artillery) firing over our heads towards the Italians, then we advanced through their minefield'.

Desert troops were rationed to just two pints of water per day, so during a rare thunderstorm, he witnessed soldiers stripping off to bathe in the rainwater. 

At one point in Egypt, Mr Johnson, who served with the Prince of Wales Volunteers, Green Howards and Durham Light Infantry, succumbed to yellow jaundice from lack of fresh fruit and vegetables.

He was made a sergeant and trained in beach landings – joining Allied landings at Salerno, Italy, in 1943.

Mr Johnson returned to Britain to prepare for the 1944 Normandy landings, arriving at Gold Beach just after D-Day, moving towards Canadian forces at Juno Beach, and working to establish supply routes.

At the end of the conflict, he helped run a transit camp at Calais.

Mr Johnson said wartime was 'not a nice memory' and he thinks about 'all the people who sacrificed their lives' – but he has given school talks and was interviewed by a historian.

In 2020, he was among surviving Normandy veterans presented the French Legion D'Honneur medal.

Post-war, Mr Johnson returned to work for Manchester construction firm Fearnley's, where he met his wife Myra, then a 'very efficient' typist.

When the couple married in 1954, a local newspaper reported: 'Water Polo Player Married' – citing Mr Johnson's position in the Eccles water polo team, which he described as 'a very rough' sport.

He and his 'inseparable' wife were keen on motorcycling, buying models including a Triumph Thunderbird – and football fan Mr Johnson went to Wembley for England's 'euphoric' 1966 World Cup Final triumph.

Mr Johnson returned to the national stadium for Manchester United's 1968 European Cup Final triumph, seeing Bobby Charlton score 'a fantastic header'.

He and Myra became parents of two sons, Peter, now 63, and David, 61, followed by five grandchildren and, more recently, one great granddaughter.

The couple received a card from Queen Elizabeth on reaching their Diamond wedding anniversary before Myra died in 2021, aged 94.

Further Royal greetings arrived for Mr Johnson's 100th birthday in 2019 and from King Charles and Queen Camilla at the weekend.

His birthday saw a party for family and friends before he was invited for tea with Salford's civic mayor.

Daughter-in-law Sandra Johnson said: 'He's just amazing, so incredibly 'on it', with firm opinions on most things. That kind of robust conversation is really healthy.'