A retired Royal Navy sailor returned to his place of birth in Kendal - 80 years on.

Michael Perry-Curwen, who is about to celebrate the milestone birthday, visited what once was St. Monica's Catholic Home for Unmarried Mothers on Dalton Drive on Wednesday, February 14.

The site is now Silver Howe Retirement Home with Michael being given a tour around the premises by Kath Murray, the registered care home manager.

Whilst, understandably, a lot of time has passed, Michael noted that the building still carried plenty of reminders of what it once was.

He said: "I was able to marvel at the original internal architecture still in view, which really adds character to the now adapted building for its current role.

"After being born in Kendal, I was initially raised in Caton [Lancashire], before I served 12 years from the age of 15 in the Royal Navy and then took up a post in local government for most of my remaining working life, the last eighteen years as a manager."

Despite already boasting a number of strings to his bow, Michael has not thought about slowing down following retirement.

Now a resident of Ingleton, and an avid golfer, he is also his family historian and has published, among other works, his autobiography.

Such historical research has uncovered that nine members of his lineage were peers of the realm and MP's for Workington and, at one point, owned amongst others the Barony of Kendal. 

Michael's autobiography charts his life from St. Monica's to the current day and includes his successful 60 year search for his birth father.

This is now being rewritten to include his 'momentous' visit to Silver Howe and his father's details.