At Northiam’s monthly village hall coffee morning, friends and family took the opportunity to celebrate Eddie Willard’s 100th birthday.
Edwin Victor Willard (Eddie to his friends!) was born as the youngest member of a large family in Ewhurst on August 1 1925 and went to school in Staplecross.
Upon leaving school, Eddie helped his father on the farm until, at the outbreak of war when he was only 15, he became the youngest member and is now the last surviving member of the Staplecross Home Guard!
As soon as he was old enough, Eddie signed up and spent the last year of the war in France, Belgium and Germany, before being sent to Palestine when everyone else was being demobbed.
Eddie has spent his whole life living in and around Northiam, the majority of it married to Audrey who he met on a trip to the motor racing circuit at Goodwood. They married on June 25 1955 at St Mary’s Church and had a long and happy life together, living at Southease on Station Road.
Eddie and Audrey loved to go on holiday together, particularly camping in the Lake District, Snowdonia, Cornwall and Eddie even got Audrey on a helicopter trip to the Scilly Isles.
Eddie spent much of his working life working for Guinness Estates and retired from the responsible position of stores manager around 1985.
Eddie has remained very active throughout his retirement and can still be seen pottering in his garden, growing vegetables, down the local shop and at village coffee mornings.
We wish Eddie many congratulations on his 100th birthday with all our very best wishes for his continued health and well-being.
Image Credits: P Sargent .