A MAN who was born weighing just 2.5lbs and was not expected to survive into childhood has celebrated his 100th birthday.

Leonard Robinson, of Poppleton, York, was born in Fulham in 1916 while his father was fighting in the First World War, and his mother was warned he may not make it.

He said: "I think my mother took that up as a challenge, and decided I would live, and she succeeded."

Mr Robinson was working for London Midland and Scottish Railway, when the Second World War broke out, and married his sweetheart Mary in 1939.

Their son Michael was born in 1940, and Mr Robinson was called up to serve in the Army, where he served in artillery in the Scottish 130 Field Regiment, first on coastal defence, later in Burma, which he said was "a better experience than being in Europe or North Africa".

His daughter Margaret was born in 1946, after Mr Robinson had returned from the war, and in 1960 the family moved to York, where he continued to work in senior positions in the railway, including property manager for the north eastern region, until his retirement in 1974.

Since his retirement, Mr Robinson was made MBE, completed an Open University course in Humanities, and founded Poppleton Arts, now the Poppleton Arts Appreciation Society, in 1983.

He has also authored two books on art history.

"I'm constantly telling people that when you're retired you don't sit back and rest, you get on with all the things you wanted to do,” he said.

“Keep busy, keep your brain active, that's absolutely essential."