By Hollie Harris
ONE hundred years young, Jack Floyd strides down his hallway with all the vigour of a man many years his junior making it difficult to believe he celebrated his 100th birthday on Monday.
Day two of his birthday celebrations kicked off with Noosa Member Glen Elmes hand delivering a very special gift to an emotional Jack, who was flattered and overwhelmed by all of the attention.
His wife of 61 years, Johnnie sat by his side in front of the piles of happy birthday cards, letters and telegrams sent to Jack as they raised a glass of champagne.
The two met when they were young dancers in England and became a well-known duo called Floyd and B’nay who performed for several decades across many countries.
They performed alongside Mickey Rooney, Laurel and Hardy and Judy Garland before making a home together in Adelaide.
“I started tap dancing with my father. It was 1931, and I was just 15 years old,” Jack said.
When Jack sent out an advertisement looking for a dance partner, it was Johnnie who answered and the two were a perfect fit from the get-go.
“We found we danced very well together, and we’ve been doing that since 1947,” Johnnie said.
“We would start dancing at 3 o’clock in the afternoon and dance until 11 at night, six days a week. We opened a ballet school in Adelaide which we ran for 30 years and we still get loads of Christmas cards from our old students,” she said.
Johnnie says her husband was still very healthy for his age.
“No sickness – nothing like that, and when he goes to the doctors, sometimes if he can’t get a taxi, he walks home,” she said.
So what does Jack think is his secret to maintaining such a healthy body and happy spirit after 100 years?
“Well, we are vegetarians, we don’t eat animals, I think that helps. And I think the fact that we were dancers. We used to do a very difficult dancing act. By the time we got to the last act, we couldn’t feel our legs. And I drink a few gallons of beer!”
