101-year-old steps out for walk to raise cash for Alzheimer's

Published on Monday 23 November 2009 08:39

HE IS at an age when most people would consider themselves lucky to be able to get about.

But 101-year-old Dan Orr is instead preparing for a fundraising trek in memory of his late wife, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease.

He will be the oldest participant in the Golden Tinsel Mile, part of the Edinburgh Christmas Walk, on Sunday, 6 December. He will join about 1,000 walkers of all ages for the event in Inverleith Park.

Mr Orr, from Inverleith, said he heard about the walk by chance through friends. He decided to raise money for Alzheimer's Scotland in memory of Winnie, who died in 2005.

He said: "Winnie was the light of my life. I still speak to her every morning and evening. But life has to go on. I think we were very lucky to have so many happy years together.

"No doubt I can do a little more than a mile. My daughter Rosie will be walking with me – she'll be keeping any dogs away!"

Mr Orr, a retired Bank of Scotland manager, has managed to stay fit and healthy throughout his long life. He and Winnie enjoyed hillwalking, and he even won a bowling competition aged 90.

One of eight children, he was brought up in Berwickshire, and puts his lifelong fitness partly down to his 16-mile daily cycle ride to Kelso High School.

He moved to Edinburgh in 1931 to work for the Bank of Scotland, where he met 17-year-old Winnie, from Leith. They married six years later, and stayed together until her death in 2005.

After serving as a wireless mechanic for the RAF during the Second World War, he returned to the bank. He worked his way up to manager of the Leith Walk branch of the bank, before moving to the Lothian Road branch.

Mr Orr still enjoys visiting his local bowling club, church and keeping up with old friends and colleagues at the Bank of Scotland pensioners' club.

He is also a keen supporter of charities, and usually divides most of his 400 winter fuel allowance between good causes such as Fresh Start and the Salvation Army.

When asked if there was a secret to his long, healthy life, he joked: "The first thing you have to do is keep on breathing."

Terry Crossley, the organiser of the Edinburgh Christmas Walk, said he hoped Mr Orr's efforts would encourage more people to take part. People can choose either the six-mile or 12-mile walk, with the new Golden Tinsel Mile aimed at the very young, elderly or disabled people.

He said: "It's amazing he is still so active, and I hope he will inspire other walkers, no matter their age."

Moira Lawrance, events manager for Alzheimer's Scotland, added: "Dan should be an inspiration to join in a brisk pre- Christmas walk.

"Supporting the charity in this way helps raise valuable funds to enable us to continue to develop services to ensure that no-one goes through dementia alone."

The charity provides support for many of the 10,000 people in Edinburgh and the Lothians who suffer from the disease, and their carers and families.