Arnold Ebenezer Tomlinson was born in the parish of Westmoreland, Jamaica in 1923. He grew up on a farm with his 7 brothers and sisters. His dad grew sugar cane and kept donkeys; Arnold would help on the farm after school.
He came to England in 1956. He remembers being shocked at how cold it was on the dock as he disembarked at Southampton. He got lodgings in Battersea and a job working at a nearby factory. Once he got settled, he sent for his wife. Arnold did many jobs back then, including working in the canteen at London Airport (Now Heathrow). He used to peel the potatoes and mash them up. However, he spent most of his working life as a painter and decorator for Southwark Council.
When he wasn't working, Arnold enjoyed going to house parties. He never really went to the pubs because he wasn't much of a drinker. "I'm not a pub man. I liked to go dancing."
The couple had a son and saved enough to buy a house in Stockwell. Arnold was the first Tomlinson to come from Jamaica to England. He led the way for other family members. He took in his nephew, who came to England after his father died. He also helped his two brothers get established in London. Arnold has outlived them all.
Arnold and his wife divorced in 1979. In 2000, a friend introduced him to his new wife, Mervelee. They married at the Peckham Registry office and now live in Bermondsey.
Arnold always loved gardening. He'd make the front garden look pretty with flowers and grow vegetables at the back. It's too much for him now, so Mervelee has taken over the task. He also loves a flutter on the horses. He used to go to the bookies himself, but now when there's a big race or fight, Mervelee places the bets for him. Every day, Arnold makes breakfast. He does toast and tea and boils eggs. He no longer eats the eggs himself but cooks them for Mervelee.
Despite being 100 in just a few weeks, Arnold has perfect vision. He doesn't even need reading glasses to read his daily paper which he reads from cover to cover while drinking Baldwins Sarsaparilla (A soft drink).
Looking back at his 65 years of living in England. Arnold thinks the country has treated him 'good and bad.' But when he weighs it all up, he feels that the good outweighs the bad.
