GOVERNOR Chris Patten has continued to have hospital tests since his heart operation one year ago this week, but is now said to be super fit.
Doctors have been so impressed with the Governor's progress that they pushed his fitness tests beyond that expected of firemen, and he passed with flying colours.
There has been no recurrence of the coronary heart disease that required 21/2 hours of surgery in Queen Mary Hospital, and he has continued to stick to a strict low cholesterol diet under the watchful eye of wife Lavender.
Mr Patten has not, however, had to forego a daily tipple of his favourite wine, and is in fact under doctors' orders to do so.
Dr Stephen Lee, who was in charge of the operation and has continued to look after the Governor, said: ''I asked him to drink a little bit of wine or brandy daily.
''There are two kinds of cholesterol, basically, good and bad. A little alcohol can help elevate the good cholesterol.'' The operation, performed under local anaesthetic, involved the widening of two arteries.
Mr Patten came through the critical first three to six months after surgery without difficulty, but remains susceptible to a recurrence of the disease.