A FORMER York coach firm boss celebrates his 100th birthday today (Friday).

Tom Sellers ran T and A Sellers of Dunnington from 1954 to 1986, when he retired.

His daughter Aileen says he took countless pupils from Dunnington to Fulford School, and drove mystery tours, Sunday school outings, institutes and sports clubs trips, including Heworth Rugby Club for 32 years.

“Many will remember Tom and his coaches,” she said. “He has so many happy memories of all the people he met and places they went. He enjoyed having a tale to tell his passengers.”

She said Tom was born in Waplington near Allerthorpe, Pocklington, the third of seven children, but moved with his family to Elm Tree Farm, Stockton-on-Forest, which his mum and dad ran.

“He recalls a very happy childhood, everyone had their chores and had a lot of fun,” she said. “At that time, oil lamps needed refilling, butter churned, bread baked and coal fires lit.”

She said he learnt his trade as a motor mechanic but was called up into the RAF in 1942 and sailed India, where he and his team maintained and repaired aircraft travelling between the UK and Burma.

On his return to Dunnington, he married his sweetheart Nancy Hart in 1946, and they celebrated 65 years of marriage before Nancy sadly passed away in 2011.

He went to work for Broadbent’s at Stamford Bridge as a mechanic on coaches and driver before deciding buy a coach and start his own business.

“He always enjoyed playing sports, cricket and soccer, and when he retired he took up bowls,” she said.

“After being retired 35 years, he still remembers being told ‘If you do something, do it right and make sure you finish it!’ Times may have changed but he does believe that at the end of the day it is family and friends that really matter.”

She said Tom also had a son Brian, four grandchildren and five great grandchildren, and different parts of the family would be organising three parties today and over coming days to celebrate his birthday.