One of the UK’s oldest entrepreneurs, Peter Webber, emphasised the importance of his sons and wife in his business success as he celebrated his 90th birthday at the weekend.
Mr Webber, who lives in Berriew, near Welshpool, formed the multi-award-winning cancer diagnostics equipment company CellPath in Newtown, which his sons, Paul and Philip, went on to lead to become a market leader in Europe.
The Webber family sold CellPath to Medical Solutions in 1999 and bought it back three years later, only to sell the successful cytology and histology products business for a second time in 2022 to StatLab Medical Products from Texas.
Peter held his birthday party at the Andrew Logan Museum of Sculpture, Berriew where he told guests: “I was going to retire at the age of 65, after we had sold CellPath to Medical Solutions, but we bought it back with Paul and Phillip in charge.
“As a family we have stayed together as a team over the years and further developed the business to include CellNass archiving service for the NHS. Togetherness, family and companionship are what life is all about.
“I owe so much to my wife, Elaine, to whom I have been married for 66 years.”
Peter began his career by qualifying as a chartered engineer and has become a serial entrepreneur, continuing to develop new business ideas in “retirement”.
“I have few regrets,” added Peter, who has often run multiple companies simultaneously during his career. “I have grabbed every opportunity and investigated it. Doors open for a certain reason and I have always looked inside. That has been my life.”
He admits that he has lived a “charmed life”. At the age of nine, he survived of one of the last deadly German V2 rocket attack on the UK during the Second World War 80 years ago. “Hitler missed me by 100 yards!” he said.
The rocket landed on Uppingham Avenue, Stanmore on March 23,1945, killing 19 people, including Peter’s uncle, Walter, aunt, Florence and cousins, Ronnie and Primrose Webber.
Peter’s family house was the only one of five semi-detached houses in the road that survived without a loss of life. His family – father, William, mother, Dorothy and sisters, Pauline and Pearl – lived at 262 Uppingham Avenue, Stanmore whilst his aunt, uncle and cousins lived at 266.
He was delighted that Pauline, Pearl and other family members and friends were able to join his 90th birthday celebrations.
