There's an estimated 15,000 people in Britain who have reached the age of 100 and received the famous telegram from the Queen. That's 0.02% of the overall population.

Over five programmes, we hear from some of them about the lives they've led, their experiences in the last 100 years, the lessons they've learned and how they view the future.

Today we hear from Richard Braithwaite from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, a retired collector of taxes; Olive Gordon, who arrived in London from British Guyana in 1952 believing the streets would be paved with gold - she was to be disappointed; Phyllis Haley, who's now 108 although she can't always keep count; and Ronald Atkins from Preston, the UK's oldest former MP.

(With thanks to Orders of St John Care Trust)

Produced by Hannah Dean and Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4 Show less