100-year-old Werrington man receives 'wonderful' card from King days before monarch’s Coronation

A Peterborough man described as “a great inspiration” marked his 100th birthday yesterday (May 3).

Owen Green from Werrington celebrated his big day with four generations of family - and a card from the King.

Mr Green’s daughter, Julia Davidson, told the Peterborough Telegraph that receiving a telegram from the monarch was “just wonderful.”

“The words in the card were so touching,” she said, “it’s as if they knew him personally.”

“He held the card and was silent for a few moments, taking it all in - it made everybody reflect.

“We’re going to frame it so that we have a keepsake to hand down to the family”

Julia said the family had an ‘open-door house’ at their Werrington home yesterday so that “anyone could come at any time” to wish her dad well.

Horse-racing fanatic Mr Green – who is originally from Jamaica – celebrated in style with his favourite tipple; rum.

“The celebrations,” Julia confided, “went on until quite late in the evening.”

Mr Green arrived in the UK as one of the first Windrush generation in the early 1960s. He initially worked on the railways in Manchester and was also a Christian Orthodox minister.

He became a widower in the 1970s and moved to Peterborough 25 years ago, where he was widely known as a “humble, kind human being who cared for a lot of people in the community.”

Ill health saw him move in with Julia and her husband Keith at their Werrington home 13 years ago. Windrush ambassador Julia explained that her dad has several “complex health concerns” and is diabetic, a wheelchair user and almost blind.

“He had to come and live with us as that was the only way we could support him.”

Though Julia said she didn't believe there was a secret to her dad's longevity, she was sure family, laughter, music and prayer had played a large part in helping him reach his milestone birthday.

Receiving a telegram from the King – especially at this time, she said, was the icing on the cake as “with the Coronation happening as well - you couldn’t get any more special.”