It's not every day you get to meet your heroes, but for many who attended Alf Ridpath's 100th birthday celebrations, that's exactly what happened.
For Liverpool born Wing Commander, Chrissy Ashton, it was the equivalent of a die-hard Liverpool fan "meeting Jurgen Klopp". Alfred Ridpath was born December 10, 1922, and has lived in the same house in West Derby since leaving the RAF in 1947.
However, now struggling with dementia and with no surviving family - his wife Joan died over 10-years ago and his only son, David, died last year - it would be easy for Alf's story to become lost. Except, his friends don't want that to happen.
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As part of the Liverpool ECHO's How It Used To Be series, we spoke to Alf about his amazing life. And when Alf's recall of events faltered due to the effects of the cruel disease, some of his closest friends were there to fill in the missing pieces.
An accomplished artist, Alf joined the RAF at the beginning of World War II aged just 17; he was part of a Lancaster bomber crew flying operations over Germany and parts of Nazi occupied Europe. After the war, he bought a house in West Derby using the £100 he received on leaving the forces as a deposit, and there he set up home with wife Joan and son David.
We spoke to Alf at his surprise 100th birthday party on December 10, 2022, which had been organised at his favourite cafe, Maggie May's Community Cafe in West Derby. Asking Alf about signing up to such a dangerous role during the war, he told the ECHO: "I never gave it any thought. It was who I was and what I was," adding: "I did what I had to do".
An encounter with a well-spoken flight commander in a "posh suit" shortly after signing up led to him being invited to train as part of a Lancaster bomber crew: "He asked me if I'd like to work for him and fly with him? So I said okay, fair enough."
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Training as a wireless operator and air gunner as part of the crew, the perilous nature of Alf's role aboard the bomber can not be overstated. This was apparent in the quick and clear answer he gave when asked of his most enduring memory of his time serving during the war - "the horror".
His thoughts flitted to those of wartime friends lost and his life after the war with his family, where he worked at Mersey Docks and Harbour Company and as a steward at Anfield. But speaking to Alf, it's as if he still feels he is part of the forces - "I never left the army". Perhaps a trick of memory, but maybe the result of the intense wartime experiences that never left him, something his friend Roger Bedford spoke about.
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Roger's dad, George Bedford, was an engineer and part of the same Lancaster bomber crew as Alf (49th and 83rd squadron). They remained great friends after the war, and despite George dying in 1993, Roger and Alf remained friends.
Speaking of the "unbreakable" friendship Alf and his dad had, Roger said: "Whenever you saw them together, whatever the number of years was before they last met, it was like just yesterday. They just talked about what they remembered.
"And he [Alf] would never talk about those things with many other people, it was only because he'd been in that same experience." Through his dad, Roger had been a part of Alf's life since he was young.
He said: "Alf was a fantastic story teller, but he would put humour to gloss over the horror." Roger's voice begins to crack as he remembers the warmth Alf showed him over the years, just because he was his father's son.
He added: "He's done well, if you consider there were certain raids he went on where he wouldn't think he might live another hundred minutes.
"I've known him for so many years, and heard stories about him, heard stories from him. He's just a great man to come and see, and it's an achievement for a World War II bomber command veteran to live this long.
"Many of them didn't. If you look at the figures, over 55,000 casualties - they were lucky." Adding: "I think they're very brave."
Many of the friends and neighbours who had packed Maggie May's to celebrate Alf's birthday, were there through the fantastic organisational skills of cafe owner, Maria Checkland. The day had a 1940s theme including a singer belting out some his favourite songs from his youth. There was also an RAF cadet guard of honour lined up to greet the RAF vet as he arrived, accompanied by his round-the-clock carers.
An impressive '40s style spread made up of many of Alf's favourite foods had also been laid on, enjoyed by the many guests and dignitaries, including forces veterans and Liverpool's Lord Lieutenant. Maria told the ECHO: "There's a beautiful community that's been built around the cafe, all different ages, all different walks of life.
"Alf and David had been coming here pretty much since I opened (five years ago). He's really chatty, always joking. You can always have some banter with him.
"He always says he loves coming here. He's eaten all around the world and says this is his favourite place. Whether it's true or not, I'll take it."
The cafe that day was filled with photographs of Alf during the war, including a collection of impressive drawings he had made during those years. Asked what should happen to the photographs and sketches, Maria said: "I hope they go to the bomber command museum, I hope they go somewhere where they're going to appreciated and people will see them. They're far too precious to go back into a draw or cupboard.
"His story definitely needs to be out there. Not many people have achieved what Alf's achieved."
Speaking about the military parade made up of young RAF cadets that greeted his arrival, Maria added: "They've actually met somebody who has lived through things all of us will only ever read about. When they saluted him, he saluted them back. I thought that was beautiful."
Does Alf's story awaken any memories for you? Let us know in the comments section below.
But perhaps the last word should go to Alf himself. When asked about how he felt about reaching 100-years of age, he thought for a moment before giving a typically Alf response: "I never really gave it much thought."
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