WHEN former Island baker Neil Shutler entered Newport Golf Club to the sound of Al Jolson's I'm Sitting On Top Of The World, he really was.

It was the very day he was 100 and he was surrounded by his huge family, with around 70 present, and listening to his favourite singer of all time.

In his hand was the special birthday card he had received from the Queen.

Neil, who was proud to wear his wartime medals, had all his ten children present and there were 12 grandchildren, ten great grandchildren and one great, great grandson.

Initially, he was naturally overcome by emotion but soon got into the spirit of the occasion and was his usual cheeky self.

Neil still has a wonderful memory, particularly about his beloved cricket and his lifetime as a baker.

On his own memorable day, Neil was also keen to pay tribute to his lovely late wife, Dorothy, who he met on a blind date in Newport, and some of his wartime pals who didn't make it home.

He also remembered special long term friends like the late Ted Satherley.

'Shutty', as he is known to so many Islanders, was the son of a local coal merchant.

After he came out of the navy in 1946, he was left £2,000 by his late grandmother and with this he bought the bakery business of EJ Caddy in Nodehill.

Before his war service, he had been a baker for Newport's Howard Harvey.

His first week's takings were just £37 but things quickly improved.

During the pre-supermarket days, on a Friday night he would cook more than 600 loaves and 60 dozen assorted buns, dough cakes and fancy cakes.

Once he cooked 3,000 doughnuts in a single day.

He loved cricket and as a spin bowler he took hundreds of wickets for Newport Cricket Club. Often he would go back to his bakehouse after the games and work until the early hours.