ONE OF Fife’s oldest residents, 103-year-old John Muir, was first footed by Fife Provost John Simpson yesterday.

As well as the traditional dram and shortbread, Mr Simpson handed over a copy of the council’s new guide to its services.

A copy is due to be delivered to every house in Fife over this month.

The former miner, from Crossgates, has lived through some major changes in his time and can clearly recall his time in the pits.

At the age of just 14 he followed his father into the Dalbeath Pit at Hill of Beath.

He got married in 1924 to Betty and the couple went on to have two daughters, Sadie and May.

Mr Muir worked for a spell in a gold mine in west Africa but returned in 1940.

He continued working in the pits until his retiral in 1964, rising to the rank of senior oversman.

Mr Muir is due to celebrate his 104th birthday next month.

He puts his longevity down to leading a good life and a couple of drams a week.