My grandfather, Peter Middleton, who has died aged 86, was not a man who let ageing interfere with living. He was enthusiastic about many things: classical music (played at deafening levels), birdwatching, steam trains, pinot grigio and Liberal party politics. He was also a lifelong devotee of the Guardian.
The only child of Frederick and Violet, he was born in Ealing, west London. His parents met while working for the Great Western Railway; Frederick died when Peter was 11. At the outbreak of the second world war, Peter was evacuated to Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, returning in 1942 to London, where he attended Ealing county grammar school for boys.
At 18, he was selected to train for a commission in the Royal Naval Reserve, starting with the Naval Division at Cardiff University, where he also began an economics degree and met his wife-to-be, Nadine, a fellow student and birdwatcher. From 1946, he served on minesweepers in the North Sea and east Asia before joining the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan, stationed 10 miles from Hiroshima. It was there that he learned to knit and tended his love of jazz and big band music.
He returned to Cardiff in 1948 with silk pyjamas for Nadine (and a sapphire intended for an engagement ring), and they married soon after. Peter completed his degree and went on to join the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (later BP), travelling extensively in Europe and the Middle East. By the time he retired in 1984, he represented BP on the board of several companies.
Throughout this time, the Guardian both informed and fed his political views. He read it daily, cover to cover. In 1995, Peter and Nadine moved to Minehead, Somerset, an area they loved deeply. The Guardian's country diary was essential reading for them. When Nadine died from cancer in 2008, a few months after their diamond wedding anniversary, Peter continued the crossword that she used to complete while he read. The day, in his eyes, could not start until it was done.
He learned to cook at 82, excelling at scrambled eggs and fish pie, and was a fan of Nigel Slater. He was a dedicated member of the National Trust, the Exmoor Extroverts social group, local arts and film societies, and the church. He travelled by coach to countless opera and theatre productions, and lectured to his local University of the Third Age on Philip Larkin's (and his own) love of jazz. In fact, he was rarely at home, there was so much in life he wanted to do.
He is survived by two daughters, my mother, Kate, and her sister, Diane; and by two grandchildren, my brother, Joe, and me.