A CHARITY for the partially sighted has honoured a Westcliff war veteran who is celebrating his 100th birthday.

For the past 58 years, the Southend Blind Welfare Organisation, based in Hamlet Court Road, has helped the partially sighted retain their independence.

Club member Norman Boughton-Smith highly praised the work of the service and received a gift of a brick bearing his name on the club’s Golden Wall of Friendship.

As a thank you Mr Broughton-Smith treated more than 20 fellow club members and volunteers to share a celebration restaurant lunch.

Mr Broughton-Smith’s name has been added to the wall of dozens of golden mirrored glass plaques which represent £12,200 of bricks, each one symbolising the many families in the community affected by sight loss.

The wall was set up eight years ago and has struck a chord across the community, according to club chief executive Lucy Martin.

She said: “ We all love Norman, he is such a character. He is always the first in line to book our club trips and outings. He has a smile for everyone and is still energetic enough to enjoy a dance.”

Mr Broughton-Smith believes the club has fuelled his zest for life over the past few years.

He said: “The staff and volunteers are marvellous, so to say thank you I decided to take my friends out to lunch to celebrate my special birthday at Zen City restaurant.”

“I look forward to the trips out with the club and I really enjoy meeting people. I say ‘hello I’m Norman’ and the conversation just starts flowing.”

Now blind in one eye with partial sight in the other, Norman spent most of his working life in the regular army and the TA. He saw active war service in Germany. As a commander of an anti aircraft gun unit he saw many friends killed in the Rhine Crossing in 1944.