A WONDERFUL celebration was held at Ridge House Residential Home at Morchard Bishop to mark the 100th birthday of one of its residents.
Audrey Coulstock was treated to a visit by children from the local primary school who presented her with hand-made birthday cards and also sang “Happy Birthday”.
She also had a party with family, friends and staff from the home.
The Chairman of the Parish Council, Dawn Parkhouse, attended and read out the good wishes she received in a card from the King and Queen.
Afterwards, Trevor Woodison, the Piano Man, played especially for her.
Audrey was born on June 20, 1924 at home in Salisbury.
She was the middle of five children, with two elder sisters and a younger brother and sister.
She is the only survivor. Her mother died when Audrey was 14, and her second eldest sister helped bring up the family, with her dad.
In her late teens, she met Cyril from Langton Green in Kent, who was in the RAF and stationed at Boscombe Down.
She moved to Langton Green, and she and Cyril were married in November 1942.
They had one daughter, Lynda, who now lives with husband David in Copplestone.
Audrey worked most of her life before retirement. To start with she trained as a hairdresser, but being asthmatic, the fumes of lotions etc weren’t good for her.
When she moved to Kent, she worked at British Home Stores in Tunbridge Wells during World War Two, and would often do fire watch at night.
She was a very hard worker, for local shops and residences. She worked for Subbuteo until made redundant. She was a very sociable person and loved painting, knitting and crochet.
She and Cyril retired to Petrockstowe in Devon in August 1985, but sadly Cyril passed away in December 1986.
She moved to Highfield Close, Lapford in 1987, near her daughter, Lynda, and spent many happy years there.
She joined the Over 60’s in Lapford, and used to go shopping in Crediton on the Ring and Ride until early 2020 when Covid affected that.
In 2021 she needed full-time care, and moved to Ridge House in the November of that year.