A former custodian and mail courier for the Corporation of Hamilton was honoured yesterday after he celebrated his 107th birthday.

Lefroy Brownlow Place, who was born on July 24, 1916, worked for the corporation for more than 30 years and was known for always arriving at work an hour early.

“In life, you can’t afford to be late. You’d miss too much”, he said.

“I liked it so much. I enjoyed learning about the City. It’s most surprising what you learn. I was proud to work there.

“I always spoke my mind. I had a belief that if you don’t believe in yourself, you can’t believe in anything else.”

Among his many fond memories of his time at the corporation was the Christmas tree judging competition in the City Hall lobby, in part because Christmas is his favourite time of year.

Mr Place, a grandfather of 14, retired at the age of 80 and said that he was still driving a car two years ago.

“I never lost my licence. I just decided to retire from driving,” he said.

A former bodybuilder and an avid walker, Mr Place said there was no secret to his longevity.

“God doesn’t have a secret, so he didn’t share anything with me,” he said.

Dwayne Caines, the City chief executive, thanked Mr Place for his contributions to the City and gave him gift certificates for the MarketPlace and Phoenix Centre.

“The Place family has always held a significant spot in my heart, with our houses being right next door to each other,” Mr Caines said.

“It is a poignant honour to know that Mr Place worked for the corporation for all those years and that he truly represented the gold standard of service to the community.

“I want to thank Mr Place for his dedication and commitment to the corporation, which is unmatched. People still to this day speak of his quality of work and his commitment to giving Bermuda his best.”