Among those presenting their congratulations in person were Lady Fraser, representing the Lord Lieutenant of Angus; Angus Provost Ruth Lesley Melville, and Mike Weir, MP.

Mr Brooks was born in Leicester on July 23, 1910, and was educated there.
He joined the Scots Greys in 1930 and went down to Aldershot for basic training, where he met his future wife Ivy from Hale, Farnham.

Subsequently he saw six years active service and a further six in the reserves.

Mr and Mrs Brooks married in 1934 and settled in the Farnham area, where in the reserves he worked at his trade as a plasterer.

During the war he saw active service with the Greys, and was involved in the heavy fighting both at El Amein and later during the landings at Salerno.

After the war he returned to Farnham and built up a construction company that flourished; indeed, he used his skills as a builder to build the family home in Badshot Lea.

He has been active within the community, serving both as a councillor in Farnham and later as a Justice of the Peace.

Retiring at 58, the couple moved in their retirement, firstly to Bournemouth and later up to Arbroath.

In 2000, Ivy died and Mr Brooks became resident in Clyde Court.

Here he has been an active member of the residents, organising many events, playing keyboards and giving art lessons.

Up to his late 90s, to keep himself active, he rode his training bike daily.

And at the age of 89 he started to learn how to use a computer, and to go on the Internet. He was a very keen amateur artist, and his work was featured on more than one occasion in the pages of the Arbroath Herald. He is also a keyboard player.

At the party in Clyde Court, Mr Brooks replied charmingly and wittily to the many expressions of congratulations.