Greetland resident celebrates his 100th birthday

Edmund Sykes with Angelcare staff and his card from the queen

Mr Sykes has lived in Greetland his entire life, and moved into local care home Angelcare in April 2021.

He celebrated his birthday with family, staff, and other residents. In addition to his card from the queen, Edmund received numerous well wishes from friends and family.

Gareth Goodall, Registered Manager of Angelcare, said: “It’s an honour for us to have Edmund here at our home.

"Any birthday is a celebration here with our residents, but 100 is such a significant milestone it was lovely to do something so special.

“We form such a close bond with everyone in our home. It’s our pleasure to be a part of such a momentous day”.

Edmund credits his long years to ‘clean living’, adding “my father lived to be 93 himself, it’s got to be in your blood”.

When he was younger, he was a Radio Mechanic in the RAF, and flew American Ventura dive bombers, as well as teaching building studies and working as a mining quarries manager. Edmund and his father built the bungalow in Greetland in which he moved from to be a permeant resident at Angelcare Residential Living.

To this day, he loves to garden and would ‘spend every spare minute in the garden’, often gardening 7 days a week.

Mr Sykes has strong ties to West Vale, having met his wife Joan at a dance at the public hall there, and was married at West Vale church.