A former waiter who cheated death after being attacked by a leopard and brushed shoulders with a notorious dictator is now relishing a rather quieter life in Cornwall.

Mark, who lives at Miners Court Extra Care in Redruth, spent much of his early life travelling around the world. He initially lived in Uganda from the age of three, before moving to Papua New Guinea and then Singapore, a country which remains dear to his heart.

His parents had embarked on overseas careers teaching English as a foreign language, having been determined to escape the “mess of South Shields”, as his father affectionately described their hometown.

Mark's young years were anything but dull. It was in Uganda that he attended the same sports day as Idi Amin, the evil dictator with whom he "brushed shoulders" in the early 1970s.

A leopard broke into the family home whilst living in Africa, prompting Mark's father to hastily locked him in a bedroom whilst their two dogs, a labrador and a boxer, mercifully scared the predator into retreating.

His working life began at Singapore Zoological Gardens, before he returned to the UK in the mid-1980s to pursue a career as a waiter, serving numerous famous faces including Bernard Ingham, Billy Connolly, Black Sabbath and Stirling Moss.

He worked in several high-end hotels in and around London, Maidenhead and Windsor, among others. Of all the places he has visited, Mark says he holds a soft spot for Swiss ski resort Gstaad, once the home of Roger Moore and inhabited by the "rich and shameless", according to Connolly.

Mark later moved to Cornwall when his parents bought properties in Looe, but after his father passed away he had unmet needs at his accommodation in Truro. He was referred to Miners Court which has enabled him to flourish, living independently whilst having the reassurance of full-time care and support when needed.

“I’m very happy here – the day centre, the people, the staff – in some ways I’m a bit of a loner, but everyone is very friendly and I enjoy everything we do. I particularly like the quizzes, which I'm quite good at,” he said.

Miners Court comprises 64 self-contained flats, a range of communal facilities, a restaurant, guest suite, and on-site support staff 24 hours a day. The day centre and drop-in services enable residents and non-residents alike to enjoy a wide range of activities including cooking, music, arts and crafts, plus wellbeing advice.

Karla Denyer, Mark's keyworker, said: "He is a pleasure to work with. He is a very genuine man who is polite and always willing to try new things. He is very kind, caring and generous.

"Mark has formed a lovely friendship with another customer who lives at Miners Court. If Mark has not seen him for a few days, he worries about him and will always check in to make sure he is okay. He enjoys chess, quizzes and fact- finding. He also loves to dance and sing, and enjoys a game of bingo when he attends the day centre."