A MUCH-LOVED Forest woman who has lived a rich and varied life celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by her friends and family last week.

Molly Macey, who lives at Kings Meade in Coleford, saw in the milestone with a merry gathering at the retirement complex on Friday, February 10.

Dozens turned out to wish Molly a happy birthday and enjoy a delightful spread of food and specially-made ‘100’ cake.

Amongst Molly’s hoard of birthday cards and presents was a special one from His Majesty the King and his wife, the Queen Consort.

Molly was born Kathleen Margaret Mary Hudson on February 10, 1923, in her family home at Ninewells.

Her daughter Michelle explained: “She often talks about her long childhood walks from there to Berry Hill School and has a fond memory of herself with long dark ringlets playing Fairy Rose in the school play.”

Molly moved with her family to Redbrook where her grandmother ran The Bell Hotel, and several years later when a teenager her parents ran another local pub, The Bush.

Her father William Hudson was a respected salmon fisher and part-time ‘ghillie’ on the Cadora stretch of the River Wye, and was known to have saved several people from drowning “in what could be dangerous waters”.

Her brother Maurice Hudson, now 90 years of age and living in St. Briavels, followed in his father’s footsteps, and was described by fishing magazine Catch Cult as ‘Fisherman Extraordinary’ in a feature last year.

Molly met “the love of her life” Claude Macey while he was still at Monmouth School when they were 15 year of age.

Claude joined the Royal Air Force as apprentice Aircraft Engineer at Halton, and at the outbreak of World War Two was posted to the Middle East.

During his spells of leave, it was to Molly he returned.

Meanwhile on the home front, Molly became a bus conductress, or ‘clippy’ as they were known, servicing the factories in Gloucester. 

After the end of the war in 1948 they married, and Molly joined Claude in Germany when he was stationed there in the early 1950s.

On their return, Molly, with her mental arithmetic skills, managed the accounts for the Gloucester branch of world famous chemicals firm DuPont, being “proud” that she was regularly sent to their London headquarters on City Road. 

She left the company after the birth of their only child Michelle in 1959.

A few years later in 1963, Claude left engineering company Armstrong Siddeley, where he was an inspector of their prestigious Sapphire Engines, to set up his own garage in Stroud.

It meant that Molly could both be at home and support his business by managing the accounts.

In 1990, Molly and Claude came back to their roots and retired to Kings Meade in Coleford, where they have been “immensely happy”.

As one of the first residents, Molly still likes to remind people how the land immediately in front of The Bells Hotel was only mud, and that golf balls frequented Kings Meade gardens and homes. 

Sadly, Claude died at 80 in 2004 and apart from 18 months during the Covid lockdown period when she stayed with Michelle, her son-in-law and grandchildren in Exmouth, Molly has remained at Kings Meade.

Her fellow residents describe her as a “kind and jolly” community member, regaling her favourite stories from the past.

Michelle added: “Even at 100 she can manage an accompanied 30–40 minute spritely walk with her three-wheeled walker.

“She often exclaims ‘I’m so lucky!’”