AN OLDBURY farmer celebrated reaching a milestone birthday.

Leslie Hopkins, known as Les, rang in his 100th birthday in style at Canonbury Residential Home in Berkeley.

A special party was thrown in the centenarian’s honour on his 100th birthday on Thursday, October 3.

Les was born at Oldbury Naite, Oldbury-on-Severn in 1913, where he lived with his sister and six brothers.

During the Second World War Les was an active member of the Home Guard.

He also worked on various farms in the area, meeting his now deceased wife Elizabeth while farming at Manor Farm in Cowhill.

The couple married in 1968 and went on to have two sons, Jim in 1970 and Rich in1974.

All of his life Les has been a keen fan of shooting, hunting and kept racing pigeons until he was 90 and to honour his lifelong interests members of the Berkeley Hunt and their hunting dogs attended Les’ party.

Jan Willcox, Les’ son’s partner, said the event had been a great success, saying: “A lot of his old friends came and there were three huntsmen with 10 dogs.”

Les laid hedges from when he left school until he retired in his nineties and won many hedge laying competitions in his early days.

He also played football, darts and cricket and was playing skittles for Oldbury teams into his 90s, before deciding last year that it was time he moved to Canonbury Home.

He puts his longevity down to keeping active and plenty of fresh air.