FOR Les Pointer, life is most definitely a gas.

The great-grandfather-of-three spent decades making sure Didcot residents had enough of the fuel to get them by, even protecting the gas holder during the Second World War.

And today the town’s very first “Mr Gas” turns 100.

Father, husband and keen vegetable grower Les Pointer is celebrating the milestone birthday at the Black Horse pub – and joked that more than anything he is thankful to be alive.

Former gas worker Mr Pointer said on turning 100: “I miss all my friends and family, but I’m proud to be 100. Being alive is the main thing.

“I have worked a lot in my life. Having the allotment was one of the highlights, I enjoyed that. We used to grow something of everything. We sold nothing though. We did the hard work so we had the benefit.”

He joked: “I’m looking forward to my birthday party – although I haven’t got a hat to pass around for the collection.”

Mr Pointer was born at The Vineyard, Abingdon, in 1915 to dad Eli and mum Bessie. He had seven siblings.

In the same year of his father’s death, when he was 14, Mr Pointer started working as an apprentice at the Oxford Gas Light and Coke Company, earning the equivalent of 75p a week.

He was a talented cornet player, and became the youngest member of the Abingdon Town Band at the age of 14.

Mr Pointer married Daisy Welch, also of Abingdon, at the age of 21 and at the same time he took the opportunity to move to the Oxford and District Gas Undertaking, to set up a new gas depot in the growing village of Didcot.

The perk of the job was that it came with its own home, and the newlyweds quickly moved into the Bridge House. They went on to have two children together, Stella and Roy.

Mr Pointer was known as Didcot’s first Mr Gas during his career, as all calls about gas from the town would come straight to his home telephone, where either he or his wife would action them.

During the Second World War, the gas holder was a potential target for bombs and Mr Pointer was in charge of protecting the site, as well as his family and anyone near at the time .

His wife died in 1972, but Mr Pointer found love again and later married Peggy Putman, a colleague of his at the gas metering team in Oxford. The couple met at the firm’s offices one day when Mr Pointer took refuge while waiting for colleagues. The pair, now married for 41 years, have lived together in their Loyd Road home in Didcot ever since.

They have three great-children, Alison, seven, six-year-old Laura and David, who also celebrates a birthday today, turning five.

Until recently Mr Pointer did most of the cooking while Mrs Pointer did the housework. He said that he regrets that he cannot grow vegetables himself any more.