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THEN AND NOW: Jim Sangster

Jim Sangster might now be 90 but his life-long passion for sport remains as strong today as it was when he used to play football and cricket for local Southampton teams.

Most nonagenarians take life a little easy but not Jim, who was born and bred in the close knit community of Northam, as he keeps fit by playing two hours of badminton twice a week.

A Southampton man through and through, Jim, originally from York Street, went to the local Northam school before completing his education at 14.

"At first I did quite a few jobs but in the end I obtained a position as a warehouseman for Poupart's the fruit and vegetable wholesalers in the High Street,'' said Jim, who has lived in the same Millbrook house for the past 50 years.

"There were no forklift trucks in those days and so we had to lift really heavy sacks of produce and carry them on our shoulders.

"At the start of the Second World War the supply of fruit and vegetables came to halt so I began looking round for something else to do as I knew sooner or later I would be called up for military service.'' A friend, Tom Porter, said the Auxiliary Fire Service was looking for volunteers and so Jim went to the fire station in St Mary's Road and signed on.

Jim was assigned to a detachment based in a garage in Marsh Lane where he qualified as a fireman and was part of a six-man crew.

Jim said: "Soon I was called up by the Army and served with the Hampshire Regiment. I'll never forget military training as we were sent to Somerset and there was 15in of snow on the ground.

Jim Sangster as a member of the Hampshire Regiment during the Second World War

"It was a big old house with no heating, no lights with 14 men to a room and just a bucket of water to wash and shave.'' When it was discovered that Private Sangster was an experienced firefighter he was sent back to Southampton where he served throughout the blitz in 1940 before being sent to Northern Ireland, North Africa, Italy and Greece.

By the end of the war Jim had met his late wife, Kit, while in Colchester, Essex, and later moved to a house in Graham Road, Southampton, where he rejoined Poupart's and remained until he retired 25 years ago.

Over the decades sport has played a huge part in Jim's life and it was not until the age of 54 that he finally gave up playing football for teams including the former gas company and Austin Sports.

Always either a winger or centre forward, Jim was selected to play while in the Army and was a stalwart of Poupart's cricket team for many years.

"I can remember it was back in 1938, when I was in the fire service, that I first discovered badminton,'' said Jim.

"I had never heard of the game let alone knew what a shuttlecock was but anyway I began playing and I've not stopped for the last 70 years.

"These days I meet up with some other retired people and we play at Oaklands and Redbridge and when you've played for as long as I have you know to use your brains and not rush around on your feet.''

10:01am Wednesday 23rd January 2008

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