Sir Patrick Duffy: UK's oldest surviving former Sheffield MP, 104, reveals secret to a long life

Sir Patrick Duffy, 104, was Labour MP from 1963 to 1992 for Colne Valley and then Sheffield Attercliffe, and he also served as a defence minister.

He served under Prime Ministers James Harold Wilson, Edward Heath, James Callaghan, Margaret Thatcher and John Major.

But he's now revealed that his secret for living so long, is that he's "always valued" walking and reading.

Patrick said: "I always valued walking.

"I had no choice when we lived in Rossington because we had no buses or only the odd one into Doncaster.

"As an altar boy, I would walk to church functions in Doncaster, and I did this year after year.

"After I retired from the Commons, in my 80s I did a lot of walking too and went on several pilgrimages and did the famous walk, El Camino Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain.

"That was more than 15 miles a day over 35 days.

"Another reason is reading.

"I learnt Latin and the treasure of studying history, so I came to appreciate books and still do.

"Looking back, I can remember shopping with my mother, aged two, in Wigan before we moved to Rossington.

"I can also remember moving from Wigan, and when I was six, I have the clearest memories of the 1926 General Strike."

Patrick, of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, says he met the late Queen Elizabeth II numerous times and described her as having "great charm and great status."

He said: "We’d talk about her family and how they enjoyed the Navy and how they learned from being in the Navy, or should they stay on in the Navy.

"I can tell you that the Queen was most discreet and careful to whom she spoke.

"Her Majesty had great appeal, great charm and great status.

"After I’d been knighted in 1991, she leant forward and whispered in my ear: ‘I’m very pleased about this Mr Duffy.’ Those were her exact words."

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Patrick was made President of the NATO Assembly from 1988 to 1990, where he was introduced to former president of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev.

He added he thinks the UK should have maintained a close relationship with Russia, because they have "more in common with Western Europe."

Patrick said: "I was introduced to Mikhail Gorbachev by John Major when was Prime Minister.

"It was a great honour. Gorbachev was trying to change his country.

"I suggested to Major that his wife, Norma, should go shopping with Raisa Gorbachev, and they did.

"John thanked me saying it was a great development and Gorbachev thanked me in person too.

"Gorbachev had considerable appeal, but he couldn’t bring the changes off because it meant lowering the status of Russia.

"It is a European country, and we should have maintained a close relationship with Russia.

"I believe we should work on Putin rather than let him be captured by China. Russia has more in common with Western Europe."