EVEN at the grand old age of 100, an academic from Malvern is still keeping up with the times.

When Albert Ludford reached his century on Saturday, the former university lecturer only had to log on to his laptop to find a flood of good wishes from family, friends and ex-students.

Dr Ludford spent almost 25 years in the academic world, lecturing in geology.

But he could not resist the classroom even in retirement, signing up for a college computer course about a decade ago to ensure that he can keep in touch with people all over the country from his home in Poolbrook Road, where he still lives independently.

Dr Ludford was born in Willenhall, Staffordshire. He studied at Birmingham University before joining the Royal Artillery in 1940.

While with the Army he was appointed as a geologist for the Inter Services Topographical Department, attached to the Royal Engineers, and became the only Royal Artillery officer employed as a geologist during the war.

Based in Oxford, one of his assignments was to prepare coastal maps for tank landings in the Far East before further work in Scandinavia, Calcutta, Bangkok, and even surveying the length of the Burma railway.

After the war he was appointed to teach geology for the external London BSc at Luton College, now the University of Bedfordshire, and spent 23 years there before retiring.

He moved to Malvern in 1987 with his wife Ellen, who died in 2001.

Dr Ludford’s 100th birthday turned into a double celebration. He was recovering at Howbury House, Pickersleigh Grove, after illness and staff and residents threw a big party for him there.

He has now returned home and was joined by family and friends for a celebration to mark his milestone birthday.