At 95 Archer Richings lives on his own with minimal support, eats well, exercises, solves jigsaw puzzles and has researched his family history back to William the Conqueror, plays nine holes of golf two or three times a week and his mind is as sharp as a tack.
He arrived in Australia 40 years ago with his wife. One daughter was here already. His other daughter and son came later.
“I wanted to come 40 years earlier but my wife would not leave her mum. But she did eventually,” he said.
Archer trained as a draftsman but employers in England said he was too old at 40.
“They said I would be too expensive to employ.”
In Australia he had problems getting regular work due to Insurance limitations, so he worked as a freelance draftsman until he retired at 68.
The family lived in Lesmurdie, eventually downsizing to a Kalamunda strata home.
Archer’s wife died two years ago, but he manages to live by himself with the help of a weekly visit from his daughter and limited help from RISE under the Commonwealth Home Support Program.
“I get a cleaner once a fortnight and a monthly visit from a gardener, Charlie. He is very helpful.
“I get bored at times but, apart from golf I fill my time with jigsaw puzzles and Solitaire. I watch wrestling on TV and I use the Internet to talk to people I know and to research my family history.
“I have followed a paper trail of census and church records back to the 16th century. One line of the family traces its roots back to William the Conqueror (1066-1087).
“My great-great grandfather was a shepherd in Wales. He married into a well-to-do family and moved to Somerset.
“My grandfather was an angry man and all his children were frightened of him. So my father moved to Essex to get away from his father. At 15 he joined the territorial army at the start of World War I. At 16 he was fighting in the front-line trenches in France.”
Archer’s father survived the war but died at 40. Archer says free cigarettes handed out to troops contributed to his ill health.
Golf is a big part of Archer’s life nowadays. He began playing while in the UK and achieved a recognised handicap of 22 over an 18-hole course. But he only played occasionally until his retirement.
“I don’t play golf at weekends. It is too expensive and the course is too busy.”
During the week he usually plays with the same four friends
“We usually play together, but not all on same day. Two are also members of another club play and they play there twice a week.
“I use a golf buggy. I can walk the fairways but it can be a long way between holes. The buggy is also a great help finding lost balls,” he said.
“My handicap now is 21 over 9 holes.
“The people at Hillview Golf Course treat me as a king, they help park my buggy and carry my gear or leave it to pick up later.
“They refused to let me pay for the coffee that we shared.”
Archer has only one surviving daughter, but has four grandchildren and five great grandchildren with one on the way.
“One great grandson is 15. He could make me a great-great grandfather eventually but his mother says no way.”
Archer’s philosophy is to eat well, exercise and keep busy. It’s one he wants other older people to adopt.
“Life begins at 95,” he says.
After our interview and goodbyes, Archer picked up his heavy bag of golf clubs, loaded it into the boot of his car and drove off home.
