From Robbie:

I've put together a list of all known men aged 105+ living the UK. At a guess, I'd say about 60-70% of the total number are currently known - and it's also very possible that I've missed a few people who actually have received coverage. Additional note: "anonymous" means that we've been able to confirm their identity - "unidentified" means we haven't. 

Donald Rose (b. 24 Dec 1914), 110, of Ilkeston, Derbyshire, England

Hugh Kerr (b. 9 Oct 1915), 109, of Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland
William Staples (b. 11 Dec 1915), 109, of Chorley, Lancashire, England

Arthur Aspinall (b. 13 Oct 1916), 108, of Bolton, Manchester, England
Harry Waddingham (b. 16 Oct 1916), 108, of Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, England
Frank Chester (b. 10 Apr 1917), 108, of Malvern, Worcestershire, England

Jack Seagers (b. 9 Jul 1917), 107, of Woodbridge, Suffolk, England
Harry Richardson (b. 8 Feb 1918), 107, of Ochiltree, East Ayrshire, Scotland (b. England)
Tom Jones (b. 16 Feb 1918), 107, of Bexleyheath, London, England

Alex Poteliakhoff (b. 20 Jun 1918), 106, of Hampstead, London, England (b. Russia)
Norman Irwin (b. 17 Nov 1918), 106, of Coleraine, County Derry, Northern Ireland
Horace Green (b. 25 Dec 1918), 106, of Halesowen, West Midlands, England
Arthur Gillett (b. 11 Jan 1919), 106, of Brixworth, Northamptonshire, England
Anonymous (b. 20 Jan 1919), 106, of East Sussex, England (b. Scotland)
Lesept Saunders (b. 24 Jan 1919), 106, of Hackney, London (b. Jamaica)
Anonymous (b. 26 Jan 1919), 106, of Essex, England
Anonymous (b. 14 Feb 1919), 106, of East Riding of Yorkshire, England
Joseph Winton (b. 2 Mar 1919), 106, of Barnet, London, England (b. Poland)
Anonymous (b. 25 Apr 1919), 106, of Belfast, Northern Ireland
Unidentified (b. May 1919), 106, of Merseyside, England

Colin Cole (b. 12 Jun 1919), 105, of Oswestry, Shropshire, England
Jim Donovan (b. 16 Jun 1919), 105, of Derry, County Derry, Northern Ireland
Leslie Lemon (b. 1 Jul 1919), 105, of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England
Unidentified (b. Jul 1919), 105, of London, England
John Maskell (b. 17 Sep 1919), 105, of Castle Cary, Somerset, England
Anonymous (b. 19 Sep 1919), 105, of Isle of Man
Godfrey Brooks (b. 5 Oct 1919), 105, of Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England
Tony Johnson (b. 13 Oct 1919), 105, of Worsley, Manchester, England
Owen Filer (b. 19 Oct 1919), 105, of Cwmbran, Torfaen, Wales
Fred Adamson (b. 15 Nov 1919), 105, of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England
Jimmy Mayhew (b. 22 Nov 1919), 105, of Woolverstone, Suffolk, England
David Niel (b. 16 Dec 1919), 105, of Duntocher, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland (b. England)
Edwin Myers (b. 10 Jan 1920), 105, of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England
Frank Biggs (b. 19 Jan 1920), 105, of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England
Raymond Rowe (b. 26 Jan 1920), 105, of Helston, Cornwall, England
John Daniels (b. 29 Jan 1920), 105, of Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England
Fred Whitson (b. 22 Feb 1920), 105, of Blairgowrie, Perth and Kinross, Scotland
Unidentified (b. Mar 1920), 105, of Somerset, England
Ron Barber (b. 7 Mar 1920), 105, of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England
Frank Pocklington (b. 13 Apr 1920), 105, of Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England
Jim Wren (b. 22 Apr 1920), 105, of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England
Unidentified (b. Apr 1920), 105, of Tyne and Wear, England
Leonard Mabbitt (b. 27 Apr 1920), 105, of Shinfield, Berkshire, England
Fred Walker (b. 5 May 1920), 105, of Camelon, Falkirk, Scotland
Ted Allum (b. 7 May 1920), 105, of Witney, Oxfordshire, England
John Cruickshank (b. 20 May 1920), 105, of Aberdeen, Scotland
Anonymous (b. 24 May 1920), 105, of Lincolnshire, England
Reginald Lye (b. 5 Jun 1920), 105, of Poole, Dorset, England

https://longeviquest.com/2026/09/jim-parkes-isle-of-mans-oldest-person-turns-107/

Jim Parkes, Isle of Man’s Oldest Person, Turns 107

Jim Parkes, the Isle of Man’s oldest resident, celebrated his 107th birthday in Port Erin on 19 September.

James (Jim) Parkes was born in Marylebone, London, on 19 September 1919. During his early childhood, he lived in Hampstead, London, with his parents and three siblings. By the age of 19, he had begun working for the gas industry as a representative. At the time, he was employed by the Gas Light and Coke Company, which was nationalised in 1948 and later became part of what is now British Gas.

When World War II broke out in 1939, he was called up for military service in 1940 and joined the Royal Air Force. He remained in the Air Force until 1946. After the war, he returned to work in the gas industry.

In September 1951, Jim married his late wife, Joan. Together, they had three sons, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. After 40 years of service in the gas industry, he retired in 1979 and enjoyed his retirement with his wife.

He is the oldest known man ever to have lived on the Isle of Man, while the oldest woman is believed to be Doris Watkins (25 November 1902 – 11 November 2011), who died shortly before her 109th birthday.

@ale76 Happy Birthday, Mr. Parkes! 🥂

https://longeviquest.com/2026/10/wales-oldest-man-owen-filer-celebrates-107th-birthday/

Wales’ Oldest Man, Owen Filer, Celebrates 107th Birthday

LongeviQuest is pleased to confirm that Owen Filer, the oldest living man in Wales, is celebrating his 107th birthday today, 19 October 2026, in his hometown of Cwmbran, South Wales.

Owen marked the occasion with a special afternoon tea at the Parkway Hotel, where he was joined by his three children, Ann, Barry and Judith, as well as several of his 10 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Speaking about the family gathering, Owen’s great-granddaughter, Lily May Bailey, explained how the annual celebration provides a rare opportunity for relatives to come together. “We’re getting all the family here to The Parkway, for coffees, cakes, probably a whisky for him. We’ll spend a couple of hours together because this is the only time we all get together for a catch up!”

For the occasion, Owen proudly wore a specially designed jumper bearing the words “Vintage, Made in 1919”, a gift presented to him ahead of his birthday by LongeviQuest UK researcher Ben Hinchliffe. As family members and guests sang “Happy Birthday”, Owen blew out the candles on a personalised birthday cake commemorating his years working as a railway signalman.

Another particularly touching gift came from the children of a primary school situated directly opposite his home. The pupils presented Owen with a handmade birthday card which they all signed, describing him as a “Llanyrafon Legend” — a fitting tribute to the affection and admiration he inspires in his local community.

When asked what makes her great-grandfather so remarkable, Lily May highlighted his extraordinary memory and continued curiosity. “He has the most amazing memory! He remembers people that he was in the army with, even their full names and where they lived. He remembers people he used to write to all over the world. I think that’s what’s made him the way that he is, he’s still learning!”

Early Life and Family

Owen Stanley Filer was born on 19 October 1919 in Pontnewydd, Wales, to Stanley Filer (1891–1945) and Leah Richards (1894–1985). He had an older sister, Dorothea (1918–1988), and a younger brother, Kenneth (1926–1995).

His childhood was marked by severe poverty, with the family often struggling to afford food and other basic necessities. Reflecting on those early years as he reached the age of 107, Owen spoke candidly about the hardships he endured. “How I got here I’ll never know. Nobody ever thought about old age in our family. We had no food, we had no money, and that’s God’s truth, we had NO money!”

In 1943, while serving with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers during the Second World War, Owen married Laura Griffiths (1918–2004). Together, they raised four children. Their eldest son, Gareth, was born on 8 May 1945, coinciding with Victory in Europe (VE) Day, while Owen was stationed in India.

Following his return to Wales in 1946, Owen and Laura settled in Cwmbran, where he continues to live independently today.

A Special Tribute to His Military Service

The birthday celebrations began several days before Owen’s actual birthday, with a special day of festivities organised on Friday, 16 October, by members of the Royal Military Police, with whom he served during the Second World War.

The celebrations began with a reception and homemade buffet at the Tredegar Veterans Support Hub. During the gathering, Owen was presented with a commemorative statue by SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, in recognition of his military service.

After the reception, Owen was accompanied by a full military police escort to the historic Market Hall Cinema in Brynmawr. Opened in 1894, the venue is recognised as the oldest cinema in Wales, providing a fitting setting for a special tribute to the country’s oldest living man.

On arrival, Owen and his youngest daughter, Judith, received a surprise red-carpet welcome before attending a private screening of his personally requested film, the 1954 Norman Wisdom comedy One Good Turn.

Darren Foote, a fellow veteran who helped organise the celebrations, spoke warmly about Owen’s character and his approach to everyday life. “Owen doesn’t understand all the fuss. He’s just a really nice, down to earth guy. He still gets up in the morning, puts on a clean shirt, puts his tie on, and cleans his shoes. He gets up with purpose, and I think we can all take a leaf out of his book.”

The Secret to Living to 107

Despite reaching an age few people experience, Owen does not believe there is a particular secret to his longevity. Instead, he attributes his long life to living properly, working hard, avoiding overeating, and enjoying simple, traditional meals.

Among his favourite foods have always been fish and chips, along with Welsh cakes made by his mother: “I lived on fish and chips. A scoop of chips and a fish, cod or hake, it was genuine, good food. Welsh cakes too, my mother made them every weekend!”

Reflecting on the changes he has witnessed over more than a century, Owen remarked on the rising cost of his favourite meal: “You can’t afford to buy it now though, fish and chips, can you? It’s such a change!”

Owen has also expressed surprise at having lived to such an advanced age. While he never expected to reach his 107th birthday, he reflected candidly on the world he finds himself living in today. “I didn’t think I’d ever make it this far, but I thought it would be a better world I would be living in.”

His great-granddaughter, Lily May, who is 28, was equally struck by how little he appears to have changed over the years. “He was in his seventies when I was born and I feel like he hasn’t aged. He looks the same now as he did when I was younger. There are photos of him holding me as a baby and it honestly could’ve been 2 years ago. He’s like Benjamin Button. He literally is Benjamin Button.”

Owen’s daily routine, immaculate appearance and determination to remain active reflect the purposeful outlook admired by those around him. Even at 107, he retains a sense of humour about his remarkable age, often describing himself with characteristic modesty: “I’m a young old man, aren’t I?”

As Owen celebrates his 107th birthday, his life story offers a remarkable perspective on more than a century of Welsh history. From a childhood shaped by poverty to military service during the Second World War, decades of family life, and his continued independence in Cwmbran, his experiences span generations of social and historical change.

@ale76 Happy Birthday, Mr. Filer! 🥂