Celebrations For Esther’s 100th Birthday!

The Chairman of Flintshire County Council has helped a Flintshire resident celebrate a special birthday. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Esther Critchley enjoyed her 100th birthday at the Croes Atti Residential Care Home in Flint where she was visited by Councillor Peter Curtis. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Esther was born at Pen Ucha Mynydd Farm, Sychyn on 13th June 1916. The middle daughter of John and Mary Morrison, she attended Sychdyn School before passing the scholarship to Mold Grammar (the Alyn). ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

After leaving school at 14, Esther went into service in Southport for 3 years, then went to Pontblyddyn and then to Cornist Hall in Flint to work for the Summers family. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

She married Ralph Blackwell in April 1940 then went to work for Dr Ross in Flint, before her daughter Maureen was born in 1944. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

One highlight in Esther’s life was meeting the Queen in 1953 for a state visit at the Eisteddford Pavillion in Rhyl. She didn’t think then that she would be having a card from the Queen for her 100th Birthday! ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Her first husband died in 1988 and she married Donald Critchley in 1992, flying abroad for the first time in her life to go on holiday. Esther lived in Sychdyn all her life until 2009, when she went to live at Croes Atti where she has been happy and well cared for since. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Chairman of Flintshire County Council, Cllr Peter Curtis, with Esther Critchley. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​