The sprightly centurion, who lives on his own with no home help in Wilmott Close, Gosport, walks about four miles a day around his home town of Gosport.

Mr Salmon also cooks all his own meals and loves spending time with his huge family.

He celebrated his landmark birthday on Wednesday with a handful of his relatives by going up the Spinnaker Tower then enjoying scampi and chips with a couple of glasses of wine in Tiger Tiger in Gunwharf.

Mr Salmon believes the key to reaching 100 years old is all the exercise he takes.

'I used to go on really long walks a lot and I still walk about four miles a day, so I think that is part of my secret,' he said.

'It's a bit harder than it used to be, but I love walking and it keeps me healthy.

'I think having such a big family around helps me too and I still don't forget a single one of their birthdays.'

Tomorrow, Mr Salmon, whose wife Kit passed away 21 years ago, will have another celebration, this time with all his immediate family. His two daughters, two sons, seven grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren and seven great, great grandchildren – an impressive 34 descendants in total – will gather at his daughter Betty Trippit's house in Peel Common, Gosport, to celebrate his birthday.

Mr Salmon was born in Portsmouth, but moved to Gosport when he was 25 years old.

He worked as a builder's chargehand and lived in Leesland Road, Gosport, before moving to his current home about 20 years ago.

His daughter Betty said: 'He's a very independent man, we've tried to get home help for him, but he just won't have it – he likes to do everything for himself and just refused any help.

'He really is very healthy and eats a lot of vegetables and cooks all his meals from scratch and just has the occasional glass of wine or sherry.

'He's always been really active too, I don't know any pensioners who do as much as him, and to think he's still walking so much at 100 is amazing.'