Lynne Mowbray|
Around 30 people attended a birthday party at the Lawrence Tavern on Thursday last week, to celebrate the 103rd birthday of local character Doug ‘Dougie’ Lewis.
Lawrence Tavern publican Luke Many said that Doug Lewis – ‘Young Doug’, has been coming into the tavern for a beer for around 20 years.
“He’s still driving and he just passed his driver’s licence test again last week,” Luke said.
“He’s as fit as anything and as sharp as a tack. He doesn’t wear glasses and his sights unreal and his hearing is ridiculous – he’s not hard of hearing, that’s for sure. One of the boys was saying that he still has all of his own teeth.
For 103 he’s really braining it.
“He enjoys a few midis of Toohey’s Old,” he said.
One of Dougie’s drinking mates, Peter Miller or “Tanker” as he’s known by his friends, said that Dougies a wonderful old bloke.
“Dougie said that he was born on 12.12.1916 at Kings Cross and he lived through the First World War, the depression and the Second World War; he’s seen a lot of things,” Peter said.
“He was 16 when the Harbour Bridge opened in 1932 and he walked over it.
“Dougie said that his mother died when he was 11 and he never had his father around, so he did it all on his own from 11 years-old.
“He said that he used to be a paper boy in Kings Cross.
“Before the Second World War he used to box a lot at the Sydney Stadium – the Tin Shed, they used to call it. He can still shape up today; he’s still as quick as buggery with his fists.
“He also played reserve grade football in Sydney and played a bit of cricket and he was in the Army during the Second World War.
“He doesn’t look 103. He only probably looks in his 80’s especially when you talk to him and see the way he moves. He’s a spritely bugger, I tell ya!
“He’s an absolute legend – everyone loves him.
“He’s a real character and he doesn’t look like he’s slowing down at all either. We’re all expecting a few more years out of him yet,” he said.
