Tributes paid to custard-loving WW2 veteran, 106
Leslie Lemon, from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, died on Friday, just 10 days after his birthday.
His granddaughter Ruth Lemon said he was a "constant presence in our lives".
She described him as "a war hero, our hero, and the family patriarch who wore his position with a gentleness and lightness of touch, unwavering positivity and a resolve to carry on".
The great-great grandfather served in the army throughout World War Two, having joined in 1939 and left as a corporal in 1946.
His son Richard said he had fallen and broke his hip on 5 July, and was successfully operated on at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.
However, he died six days later after contracting a lung infection.
"It's difficult to sum up 106 years," he said.
"He was always optimistic and positive and he never gave up - it was a full indication of a life well lived.
"Up until the end he was engaging with the family, in his gentle way."
Mr Lemon celebrated his birthday with a family barbecue on 29 June, and again on the day itself, 1 July.
"He achieved everything he wanted to do, and possibly a bit more," his son added.
He said the story about his father's love of custard, covered extensively in the media, meant he had a "brief encounter with celebrity, which really chimed with his sense of humour".
He added: "He was moved by all the comments placed on social media."
Speaking to the BBC just days before his 106th birthday, Mr Lemon said he had no "aches and pains", slept well and was not on any medication.
He also revealed his unusual recipe for longevity.
"That's my secret to a long life: custard, custard, custard; rhubarb from the garden and custard," he said.
"You can't beat it. I have it every day and I want it every day."
Born in Ealing, west London, in 1919, Mr Lemon joined the Royal Engineers just before war was declared.
As the end of the war approached, he was stationed at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
"It was terrible. The Germans left and the British soldiers took over. We helped as much as we could," he said.
While stationed in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, he met his future wife, Doreen.
They were married a year later, in 1944, and remained together until 1999, when she died from dementia.
They had three children - Michael, Mary and Richard.
Mary died aged 10 from hepatitis, contracted from polluted seawater.
After he was demobbed in 1946, Mr Lemon worked for the Inland Revenue until his retirement in 1970, aged 60.
The Luton Town fan loved cricket, reading, playing cards and spending time with his two sons, eight grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
WW2 veteran, 106, puts long life down to custard
Gran marks 107th birthday with motorcycle ride
Woman says 'good food' the secret on 108th birthday
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
25 minutes ago
- Forbes
Peated Scotch Whisky At Risk Of Ban Within Five Years, Expert Warns
Are your favourite smoky whiskies living on borrowed time? Mark Littler LTD "Peated whisky is absolutely at risk of being banned. There's a significant risk within the next five years, and a high risk within ten years. As climate pressures intensify, politicians may see peat use for flavoring alcohol as an easy target," said Alastair Collier from A Healthier Earth. It's a bold statement. But the numbers speak for themselves. Peat in the UK stores the equivalent of 20 years of all UK CO2 emissions. To put peatlands in context of other more traditional carbon sinks, the peatland in the UK stores the same amount of carbon as the forests of the UK, France, and Germany combined . These figures have led the UK government to ban peat usage in other industries. So why is it still being used to flavour a drink? Peat has been a part of scotch whisky heritage since the birth of the industry. It is used to dry the malted barley, and in doing so adds depth of flavour to one of the world's favourite spirits. It's not just a few minor whiskies either; Johnnie Walker, the biggest internationally sold whisky in the world, is renowned for its layers of sweetness and smoke. Up until the recent bans the scotch whisky industry has accounted for just 1% of peat usage in the UK. But that figure is expected to rise to around 40% over the next three years as further bans are introduced in other industries. Scotch's usage won't increase, but its share of total usage will grow significantly. Peat smoke is used to dry the malted barley. It gives the whisky a distinctive smoky flavour. getty "Burning peat is horrendous. It should be considered a climate crime because of the carbon emissions and impact on the ecosystems where the peat is harvested from' said Alastair Collier, Chief R&D Officer at A Healthier Earth, a company that builds and delivers large-scale sustainability solutions. In an interview with me to discuss the use of peat (and potential alternatives) his opinions on the use of peat in the whisky industry were clear: We ran some calculations, and burning peat for whisky creates around six to ten kilograms of CO₂ per bottle—that's the equivalent of 15 minutes of a short-haul flight every time you open a bottle. Alastair Collier, Chief R&D Officer at A Healthier Earth Alastair went on to point out that while the quantity of the CO2 released isn't huge it comes from a storage that has developed over millennia, isn't renewable and has untold damage on ecosystems reducing biodiversity and negatively impacting water cycles. It's pretty crazy when you hear those kinds of numbers. And it's not hard to imagine how this could become political very quickly. Picture a future where Glasgow hits 40°C in March, private motorists face heavy taxes for driving petrol or diesel cars, and the pressure to cut emissions is coming from every direction. In that kind of climate—literally and politically—the idea of burning a critical carbon sink just to flavour a drink starts to look like an easy target. Laphroaig's iconic smoky profile depends on peat, but sustainable alternatives like biochar could help preserve its character. Mark Littler LTD A Luxury Target In the argument against banning peat there is a potential consideration for heritage, and for economic importance. The Scotch Whisky Association reported that in 2024 scotch whisky exports were worth $7.25 billion (£5.4 billion) and were 2% of all UK goods exports. Those are numbers that need to be respected. Which is fine, because there is an alternative. There are already carbon neutral alternatives to peat for other uses, and Alastair Collier is confident that one could be created to replicate the compounds that give whisky its smokey/peaty flavours. "With intent, investment, and around one to two years of trials, a food-grade biochar, which is a form of captured carbon, could be developed to replicate peat's flavor profile in whisky production. It would allow the same smoky character while moving from a carbon-intensive process to a carbon-neutral one." Alastair Collier, Chief R&D Officer at A Healthier Earth Any government looking to ban peat in whisky is likely to see push back; whisky makes money and also people love it. Even Alastair Collier, knowing the issues, enjoys the result: "I drink whisky and really love the medicinal notes that peated expressions like Talisker. But at the same time, I'm fully aware of the environmental cost of using peat." Personally, I believe that much like ivory in the antiques trade, peat will become a target because it is a high-profile, high-emission luxury. Because luxury will always be first in line for regulation when emissions cuts need to look visible. The Future Of the World's Favourite Whisky Let's be clear; I don't want peated whisky to disappear, but I do think that it's a big elephant in the room. When you have the likes of Diageo, one of the world's largest premium alcohol drinks companies, developing the lightest glass bottle in the world to save transport costs and carbon, but also owning what is soon to be the largest peat extraction site in Scotland, it begs the question of when tradition fades into outdated? I reached out to Diageo for comment on the use of peat and potential alternatives in whisky. They declined to comment directly, insisting it was an industry topic better suited to the Scotch Whisky Association and I should contact them. I'm inclined to disagree given their peat extraction activities. However, when they're actively working on the world's lightest bottle, whilst also pushing the boundaries of whisky making at their new distillery at Port Ellen, I would be astounded if they are not also aware of the potential social and political pressure on their peat usage. Some distilleries are already making the switch away from peat. In 2024 Glenturret, the oldest distillery in Scotland announced that they would be stopping the use of peat in their whisky making in 2025, although their reasoning behind this wasn't purely environmental. 'Our decision to step away from peat in the core range was part of a deliberate move to refine and focus our signature house style here at The Glenturret. It's not a rejection of peat, rather, it's about clarity of direction,' said Ian Renwick, Distillery Director at Glenturret, over an email with me about Glenturret's use of peat. 'Peated Scotch whisky holds a special place in the world of single malts. It offers distinctive character, deep complexity, and emotional connection for many whisky lovers,' added Renwick. 'There will always be a place for peat in scotch, especially when it's used with intention and skill. It may evolve in how it's produced or sourced, but its role in the whisky world is far from over.' The important question remains, would large scotch brands like Glenturret consider an alternative to peat if it existed? 'We're always open to innovation, especially where it supports quality and sustainability. If a credible, environmentally responsible way to create a peat-style profile emerged, we would certainly explore it with curiosity.' Just as Coca-Cola survived the cocaine ban in 1922, and the antiques industry survived the banning of ivory, scotch whisky can adapt to a life beyond peat. A few weeks ago the EU announced plans to cut carbon emissions 90% by 2040, and last month it was announced the world may hit the symbolic 1.5oC global warming in as little as three years—the time it will take this year's batch of whisky to be legally classed as scotch. As climate pressure and challenging targets continue to emerge, the pressure will shift to focus on emissions that even three years ago may have appeared too small to bother with. Smart brands will lead the change. Whether it's now or in three years time—in my opinion it's when not if—the question distillers need to ask themselves is simple: can we adapt. The risk of doing nothing remains to get legislated out and no one wants to see their favourite whisky brands disappear from the shelves.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
DWP urges 200,000 parents to come forward after missing out on massive state pension top up
Hundreds of thousands of parents are missing out on a retirement top up worth £5,000 on average as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) admits it is struggling to reunite most with the money they are owed. An estimated 194,000 have been affected by the issue, which has seen their state pension being underpaid – or could in the future – due to a record-keeping issue which was no mistake of their own. The error relates to Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP), which was available between 1978 and 2010 for people in receipt of Child Benefit or with caring responsibilities. The scheme reduced the number of qualifying years a claimant needed for a basic state pension in retirement, meaning the amount of years spent in-work and paying national insurance. This was to account for their home-related responsibilities which made them less able to be in employment. A Government spokesperson said: 'We are determined to help people who have been left out of pocket as a result of historical errors which are no fault of their own.' (John Stillwell/PA) (PA Wire) Protection through HRP was meant to be applied automatically to those who claimed Child Benefit, with most claimants being mothers. However, the DWP says it noticed in 2021 that this had not happened in hundreds of thousands of cases, leading to underpayments worth £5,000 on average. But in its latest annual report, the department reduced the funds set aside for the repayments from £1.2bn to just £29.8 million – a deduction of over £1bn – conceding that it will not be able to rectify the issue in the near future. The report explains: 'Correcting HRP is inherently challenging. 'The number of people applying to correct their missing HRP has been low. Substantial numbers of people have not responded to government calls for them to apply to add missing HRP and the exercise has resulted in much lower activity levels.' Since autumn 2023, HMRC has issued over 370,000 letters to people who were potentially affected. However, during 2024/25, only 12,379 state pension underpayments were compensated, totalling around £104 million. In the year before this, it was just 419. In response to the low take-up, the DWP has decided to change the compensation scheme from a short-term repayment drive to an ongoing programme. This means those who are affected should face no time limit in claiming what they are owed, while the department saves considerable sums in the short-term. Anyone affected can retrospectively apply for HRP online or by post. For those who require more information, HMRC's national insurance helpline can be reached on 0300 200 3500. Hundreds of thousands of parents are missing out on a retirement top up worth £5,000 on average (Getty Images) Former pensions minister Sir Steve Webb said: 'The DWP's latest report is a hammer blow to over 100,000 mothers who are receiving reduced state pensions because of errors on their National Insurance record. 'The Government's letter-writing campaign has been a dismal failure, and this was entirely predictable given its reliance on a complicated online claims process,' the LCP partner told The Telegraph. 'Although there will still be some ongoing publicity, the figures in the annual report are an admission that the Government itself does not expect these efforts to have much impact.' A government spokesperson said: 'We are determined to help people who have been left out of pocket as a result of historical errors which are no fault of their own. 'That's why we wrote directly to over 370,000 of those who were potentially affected and launched an online tool to help people check if they needed to claim. 'We carried out an extensive campaign to raise awareness of the issue and will continue regular communications to get people to check their National Insurance record.' Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Water supplies return to island as pipe fixed
A faulty pipe which cut off water supplies on parts of Bryher in the Isles of Scilly has been repaired. South West Water (SWW) said its engineers had worked through the night to fix the issue and it hoped to have supplies back to normal by lunchtime on Thursday. People on the island have told the BBC water supplies had returned for some properties who were experiencing issues, but some were still without water. SWW, which set up a bottled water station on the island's quayside, said disruption would be experienced by some while the system returned to normal and it was sorry for any inconvenience caused. A SWW spokesperson said: "We would like to thank the community on Bryher for their patience and understanding whilst we carried out repairs to a faulty pipe. "We have been working through the night and hope to get water supplies back to normal by lunchtime today, although there may be some disruption while the system is recharging." People living on the island said it was a relief to have supplies back on. Chris Hopkins from Fraggle Rock Bar and Cafe said tourists were due to arrive on Bryher from St Mary on Thursday, so it was "good timing". He added there had been some confusion in the island about what was going on and said the communication from SWW had not been great. "I think they should have taken charge of the situation," Mr Hopkins added. A SWW spokesperson said the company was sorry for communications not reaching customers quickly enough. "We are now talking to them to make sure they are fully informed," they added. More news stories for Cornwall Listen to the latest news for Cornwall Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ More on this story Island told to conserve water amid pipework fault South West Water boss Susan Davy to retire Enforcement action of £24m for water firm failures Related internet links South West Water
