EDNA Hicks, organist at Woolaston Methodist Church, will be celebrating her 100th birthday on Friday.

She was born in Swansea, South Wales, just after church bells throughout the land had ceased celebrating the First World War armistice to parents George and Evelyn Hicks.

For the past 73 years, she has to played the organ every Sunday at Woolaston Methodist Church.

Last Sunday, a packed congregation filled the 150-year-old Woolaston Methodist Church for morning worship conducted by the Minister the Rev Michelle Ireland.

Rev Michelle welcomed everyone saying: “We come to worship God and celebrate Edna’s ‘Milestone moment’.”

Following the service worshippers sang a hearty ‘Happy Birthday’ with Edna receiving a basket of flowers presented by senior church steward Liz Lander.

Edna then cut a cake made and decorated by Avril Czajkowski, a former pupil of Edna’s.

The cake decoration was music notes signifying Edna’s organ and piano playing, and treble clefs.

There was a mini piano and a collection of music notes on individual wires also holding the numerals 100 on the top. Even the ribbon around the edge of the cake-board had music notes on it.

Edna was a daughter of a Methodist minister who served in the Holsworthy/Okehampton area of West Devon.

After leaving Okehampton Grammar School in her late teens, she trained and qualified as a teacher at Southlands Methodist Teacher Training College, Wimbledon, London.

FULL STORY IN THIS WEEK’S FORESTER