BROADCASTER Vincent Kane added his own vintage skills to last week's Prime-Cymru Merlin Awards in St David's Hall, Cardiff.

The event cherry-picked the most successful businesses from the 600 or so that Prime-Cymru has encouraged the over-50s in Wales to found.

Mr Kane said he took comfort from being born in the same year as Brigitte Bardot and Lester Piggot.

"I've never been photographed naked on the cover of Paris Match, or been referred to as a sex kitten - at least not to my face.

"Neither have I ridden nine derby winners or served time for tax evasion. But nevertheless, I have felt comforted to go through life will role models like these.

"People are retiring much too young - for some reason the prime minister is being encouraged to retire at 48!

"Life is a process, not a series of fits and starts and it can go on as long as you have the energy and creativity to enjoy It."

Mr Kane pointed out that Churchill, one of Britain's greatest prime ministers, only took his office at the age of 66.

He added that he was also reminded of the famous French president Clemenceau (who collaborated with Lloyd George on the treaty of Versailles after the First World War).

"Clemenceau was a ladies' man but by the end of the war he was 80 years old. One morning he was walking down the Champs Elysee with his finance minister. He noticed a young woman selling flowers who was smiling at him and he turned to the finance minister and said: 'Oh to be 70 again'."

Mr Kane introduced nine category winners plus their respective runners-up. The titles of these categories ranged from innovation and invention, to consultancy services to grit and determination.

Gwent was represented by Tessa Perry of Penhow who won runner-up in the consultancy services section.

Ms Perry is a former senior manager with Lloyds TSB who specialised in marketing but took voluntary redundancy last October after 22-years' service.

She started her own market research consultancy and has since added one new client a month to her portfolio. In fact, she is so busy she has had to subcontract work.

Her motivation for the business start-up was both economic and personal.

She said: "I wanted to keep my hand in, using my skills to continue to contribute to my profession. And I wanted to fund my god-daughters' education after their mother had to stop work due to multiple sclerosis."

Her projects to date have included a number of assignments in the insurance sector, including product development and website evaluation for a general insurance benchmarking service.

Vicki Watson, who used to live and teach in the Monmouth area but has now moved to Newcastle Emlyn in Carmarthenshire, hand paints women's lingerie.

Aged 54, Ms Watson retired from teaching two years ago due to ill health. Her business idea came about through frustration at not being able to find any lingerie she liked on the high street.

"I realised many high street brands did not extend beyond size 16 so I thought I would have a go at designing my own creations and catering for all sizes.

"Older women are now looking for sexy, upmarket and luxurious lingerie." One of the stars of the presentation was 70-year-old Merlin Maddock from Pontcymer near Bridgend.

A master craftsman, he has overcome two bouts of cancer, osteoporosis and arthritis to return to his beloved trade.

At the request of his carer, he has made a harp from plywood which can be flat-packed and assembled using nuts and bolts.

He wasn't sure if his carer will ever the play the harp he has made her. As he explained: "She comes from Essex which is a hell of handicap for anyone." For that reason, perhaps, he made her version in bright pink and called it the "funky harp".

Explaining his grit and determination (for which he won the runner-up prize), Mr Maddock said: "My father was a mining engineer at Ogmore Vale. I went to see him aged 14 in 1948 and heard him say, in Chaucerian language, that 'Can't is not in the Maddock vocabulary'."

Mr Maddock also won the prize for quality and design and was runner-up in the creative merit category.