He only gave up American square dancing just before last Christmas because the club closed, otherwise Peter Byers, 100, would still be promenading and do-si-do-ing with the best of them. Father-of-five Peter, of Pocklington, enjoys regular fishing breaks from April to September, takes a daily walk of a mile into his home town and lives independently in a house “with a staircase – I get up and down and it’s the best thing for you”.
It is five years since Peter had a heart procedure at Castle Hill Hospital. He was referred to the cardiology team there in November 2020 after his fishing and walking started becoming more difficult; tests showed he had severe aortic stenosis, a heart condition causing chest pain, shortness of breath and dizziness because of a narrowing of the aortic valve, affecting blood flow.
Then aged 95, open heart surgery under general anaesthetic was considered too risky for Peter who instead underwent Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), a minimally invasive heart procedure, performed under local anaesthetic, to fit a new aortic valve, in 2021. He was recently given a clean bill of health by the TAVI team at his annual review.
“I felt well in myself afterwards,” said Peter, of the TAVI procedure. “You need to take all the time you need, when you are going walking and so on, and I did what they told me; they said do this and do that.
“I had no after-problems with it. It’s done me the world of good, obviously.
“I walk up to my daughter’s; I walk into Pocklington; I walk up to Burnby Hall Gardens. I think if you don’t use your legs, you lose them,” said Peter.
“Up to just before Christmas I was American square dancing. I’d recommend it to anyone.
“You have to remember things and you have to move around to the music. It’s a good programme all round for exercise.
“I started doing American square dancing when I was in the Army. When I came back with my wife and we were stationed in York, I found out there was a club in Hull called the Humberside Steppers and I joined them.
“I was there for a long time; I came out for some reason and then they formed a club in Pocklington and I went back into it. I’m only not doing it now because it stopped.”
Peter said: “I just keep going. I’ve had a good life and I’m not complaining about anything that’s happened. I think people get too upset about daily things.”
Peter has just returned from one of his beloved fishing trips. “I fish for carp,” he said. “I throw them back – I caught quite a good one this last trip.
“I go fishing every month; I have a week every month between April and September.
“You’re in your fishing chair and you forget everything else. I am just thinking about looking at the water and my surroundings and the fishing.
“You do have to be able to sit down and forget about everything else. My next trip is to a new place my daughter has found for me.
“It has a cabin where you can stay. I used to do day fishing but you have to put all your stuff up and then take it all down again; you get to my age and you don’t appreciate that.”
Peter, whose wife died 20 years ago – he also lost one son to cancer in America – grew up in London and spent time in Norfolk, where he first found his love for fishing. He has since fished in many parts of the world.
He served in the Royal Navy, joining up during the Second World War, and left in 1946. He served an apprenticeship but “didn’t enjoy going into a factory every day”, so he joined up again, this time in the Army.
“I stayed in for 30 years,” said Peter, “and came out as a Major. I’m now a member of the Royal Signals Association in York.
“We go every month and we’re able to have a chat about things and there’s a dinner.” Peter took a part-time job on Pocklington Industrial Estate before his retirement.
“Everything’s okay with me,” he said. When asked whether he would be out for one of his walks after he had finished talking to Hull Live, Peter said: “No, I’ve got cleaning to do, there is always some of that.”
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