Fish and chip loving great-grandad, 111, from Merseyside is now the world's oldest man

A Merseyside man has been crowned the oldest man in the entire world, at the grand age of 111. Liverpool-born John Alfred Tinniswood took the title on April 5, following the deaths of 114-year-old Juan Vicente Pérez, from Venezuela, and 112-year-old Gisaburo Sonobe from Japan.

Born on August 26, 1912, John is a great-grandfather and currently lives at a care home in Southport, where staff describe him as ‘a big chatterbox’. Despite his impressive age, the Liverpool FC fan can still perform most daily tasks independently, including getting himself out of bed and managing his finances.

Married to his late wife Blodwen for 44 years before her passing in 1986, John has a daughter named Susan, four grandchildren and three great-children. One of his fondest memories is his wedding in 1942.

According to John, his longevity is down to ‘pure luck’ and, beyond eating a portion of battered fish and chips every Friday, he says he doesn’t follow any particular diet. “You either live long or you live short, and you can’t do much about it. I eat what they give me and so does everybody else. I don’t have a special diet,” he said.

The lifelong Reds supporter was born just 20 years after the club was founded in 1892 and has lived through all eight of his club’s FA Cup wins and 17 of their 19 league title wins.

Also the world's oldest surviving male World War II veteran, John has lived through both World Wars and, despite having eyesight issues, he found purpose by working in an administrative role for the Army Pay Corps during the second. In addition to accounts and auditing, his work involved logistical tasks such as locating stranded soldiers and organising food supplies. After the war, John worked in accounts for Shell and BP up until his retirement in 1972.

John says the world is ‘always changing’ and is an ‘ongoing experience’. He added: “It’s getting a little better but not all that much yet. It’s going the right way.” He is unfazed by his world’s ‘oldest man’ status, after being crowned the UK’s oldest man back in 2020.

Giving advice to the younger generation, the impressive 111-year-old said: “Always do the best you can, whether you’re learning something or whether you’re teaching someone. Give it all you’ve got. Otherwise it’s not worth bothering with.”