OLD Father Tyme has finally caught up with Frank Wilkes from Worcester - but not before he was given a very good run for his money.

"Father was determined to live to 100," said his son Peter. "And he made it."

For Mr Wilkes was 100 years and six weeks old when he passed away in the city's intermediary care unit in Spetchley Road last Friday.

"He had only moved there four weeks ago," his son added. "Up until then, he'd been living at his home in Timberdine Avenue. That's where he celebrated his 100th birthday."

In fact, Frank Wilkes - who was made an MBE in the 1970 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his work in local government - was a member of a family with remarkable longevity.

His father, Alfred, was 100 years and four months when he died in 1976 and two of his three sisters are still going strong, Winnie Attwell, aged 95, and Elsie Daniels, 90.

Frank Wilkes was born in 1904 in a house in Lyttleton Street, Worcester, which had been built by his father and his grandfather, Richard Wilkes, who was a master builder.

Alfred Wilkes went on to become a well-known landlord in the city, keeping at various times The Lansdowne Inn, in Lansdowne Street, and The Feathers pub, in Upper Tything.

In his youth, Frank helped run the Barbourne Athletic football team based at the Lansdowne Inn and was also an oarsman with Worcester Rowing Club.

His distinguished working career, spanning about half a century, was in highways administration, finally as chief administrative and financial officer with Worcestershire County Highways and Bridges Department. It was for this work he received his honours.

Mr Wilkes and his wife, Dollie, had two sons - Peter, who lives in Cornwall, and John, now in Switzerland - and were able to celebrate both their golden and diamond wedding anniversaries before her death.

In 1973, Frank Wilkes was a founder member of the Probus Club of Worcester and four years ago took part in the BBC look-back project A Century Speaks and was invited to London for its launch.

"Father was an amazing person, you wouldn't have believed he was 100," said his son. "Up until only a month ago, he lived on his own and cooked all his own meals."

Mr Wilkes' funeral will take place next Tuesday, October 12, at 2.45pm at St. Mark's church, Worcester and there will be a celebration of his life later in the afternoon at Fownes Hotel, Worcester.