Never mind the bus pass - 100-year-old Billy Armstrong prefers to hit the road behind the wheel of his own Audi.

There's no stopping this sprightly centenarian, who passed his driving test a year before the start of World War Two and is still going strong motoring along the roads of Cumbria.

He regularly visits marts in Carlisle and Wigton, meeting friends for lunch or going for a ride out with his pal Les Pluckrose, who is 93.

And Billy's diary is so hectic he has a better social life than his daughters, who struggle to keep up with his hectic schedule.

Billy, a former farmer who lives in Plumpton, got his first car - a Ford - in 1938 and can still remember the registration number.

He failed his first driving test on a hill start but passed second time and still doesn't need glasses for driving.

"I've got 130,000 miles on the clock. I've had this car for 15 years," he said proudly.

"I recently got a new licence which means I can drive until I'm 103.

"It's better than going on the bus or sitting in the house. It's what keeps me going.

"My friend Les used to work for the post office so he knows Cumbria inside out.

"I've got a cousin who is 86 and she has just driven 100 miles to Scotland to see her daughter.

"I think driving when you're old must run in the family."

Billy uses his sticks or a push along trolley to walk and then gets in the car and drives.

He has seen many changes in the roads and driving rules and regulations.

He said: "When we first came to Plumpton there was no motorway so all the cars came through the village.

"It wasn't as busy then as it is now though."

Billy has also seen the introduction of seatbelts in cars, which he thinks is a "good thing" for safety.

He has his lunch with friends on a Monday at the Auctioneer in Carlisle, where he uses a mobility scooter to get around.

He also goes to Carlisle's H&H Auction to watch the trade.

He can be found every Tuesday at Hopes Auction in Wigton, where he likes to watch the cattle.

Billy received more than 120 cards in honour of his recent 100th birthday.

They currently adorn the home he shares with his budgie, Tommy.

The telegram he received from the Queen is now framed and has pride of place on his living room wall.

He married his wife Edna in 1946 and farmed at Plumpton Hall for 50 years before retiring.

He has three daughters and four grandchildren.

His daughter Carolyn Hodgson said: "Dad has a better social life than me.

"I have to make an appointment to see him."