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Wednesday, Jun 04, 2025
Cayman Islands News
World's oldest man's birthday party cancelled due to coronavirus
Bob Weighton is about to turn 112 – but he won’t be living it up with family and friends tomorrow.
He is in isolation due to coronavirus, and celebrations have had to be cancelled.
The great-grandfather-of-25 usually enjoys a visit from the mayor at his care home, where local school pupils also come to sing him songs.
This time though – his first birthday as the official world’s oldest man – he will be alone.
Bob became the oldest man in the world last month after the death of the previous record holder, Chitetsu Watanabe from Japan.
Retired lecturer Bob, from Alton, Hampshire, said: ‘There are no birthday celebrations, they have all been cancelled. I’m in isolation.
‘I love meeting new people so that hasn’t been ideal, but I’m not too bothered about the birthday itself.’
Bob was 10 when the Spanish Flu swept around the world in 1918, killing between 50 and 100 million people.
But despite having a ‘very good memory’, he only remembers the pandemic through history books he read later in life.
He worked as an English teacher but spent most his life as a lecturer in marine engineering.
He previously said he was worried about the the coronavirus outbreak and has been taking extra care of his cleanliness and washes his hands more frequently.
Bob’s grandson Magnus, 48, said he’s not worried about Bob’s health but that he would get bored in isolation as he’s a ‘very sociable person’.
He bought Bob an iPad so that he can still stay in touch with the family through Facetime.
The dad-of-two said: ‘Originally Brendoncare wanted to organise a birthday party like they do for him every year.
‘Children from the local school come and sing songs for him and it’s just a wonderful and joyous occasion.
‘But now there are no plans for any kind of celebration, we’ll be ringing him throughout the day but that’s it.
‘I’m not too worried about Bob, even during these times, because he’s healthy, he’s not had visitors and he’s a resilient man.’
He said he had not bough him a birthday present because ‘you can’t get a man like him a gift. He’s seen it all.
‘But he’s also very ecologically conscious so he doesn’t want anything he doesn’t need.’
Bob was born in Hull on March 29 1908, the same day as the UK’s oldest woman, Joan Hocquard.
He is a father-of-three and has 10 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.
Happy birthday Bob!
The great-grandfather-of-25 usually enjoys a visit from the mayor at his care home, where local school pupils also come to sing him songs.
This time though – his first birthday as the official world’s oldest man – he will be alone.
Bob became the oldest man in the world last month after the death of the previous record holder, Chitetsu Watanabe from Japan.
Retired lecturer Bob, from Alton, Hampshire, said: ‘There are no birthday celebrations, they have all been cancelled. I’m in isolation.
‘I love meeting new people so that hasn’t been ideal, but I’m not too bothered about the birthday itself.’
Bob was 10 when the Spanish Flu swept around the world in 1918, killing between 50 and 100 million people.
But despite having a ‘very good memory’, he only remembers the pandemic through history books he read later in life.
He worked as an English teacher but spent most his life as a lecturer in marine engineering.
He previously said he was worried about the the coronavirus outbreak and has been taking extra care of his cleanliness and washes his hands more frequently.
Bob’s grandson Magnus, 48, said he’s not worried about Bob’s health but that he would get bored in isolation as he’s a ‘very sociable person’.
He bought Bob an iPad so that he can still stay in touch with the family through Facetime.
The dad-of-two said: ‘Originally Brendoncare wanted to organise a birthday party like they do for him every year.
‘Children from the local school come and sing songs for him and it’s just a wonderful and joyous occasion.
‘But now there are no plans for any kind of celebration, we’ll be ringing him throughout the day but that’s it.
‘I’m not too worried about Bob, even during these times, because he’s healthy, he’s not had visitors and he’s a resilient man.’
He said he had not bough him a birthday present because ‘you can’t get a man like him a gift. He’s seen it all.
‘But he’s also very ecologically conscious so he doesn’t want anything he doesn’t need.’
Bob was born in Hull on March 29 1908, the same day as the UK’s oldest woman, Joan Hocquard.
He is a father-of-three and has 10 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.
Happy birthday Bob!
