“100 year old’s birthday party is charged with emotion”
Written by Fenella of the Isle of Man Examiner, Tuesday 23rd March, 1999
It was a weekend charged with emotions at the Sefton Hotel when Edith Greenfield celebrated her 100th birthday. Probably the most poignant moment came when Mrs G arrived in the new atrium at the hotel to be greeted by her daughter, her last surviving of four children, who was also in a wheelchair.
There were few dry eyes around as mother and daughter had difficulty in “hugging” each other, making do with strokes of affection and whispered words.
Then the atmosphere was lightened considerably by the arrival of a smiling Lieutenant Governor Sir Timothy Daunt, his arms filled with flowers from Government House (a cineraria and huge daffodils and his own letter of congratulation for Mrs Greenfield to have alongside the message from Her Majesty the Queen.
His Excellency enjoyed a long conversation as he crouched alongside the wheelchair and he enjoyed meeting many of her family.
Twenty-one family members flew in for the weekend, headed by middle daughter Helen Clover from Portsmouth. Housebound for some years, the widowed Mrs Clover flew from Southampton accompanied by her son David and family to join up at the Sefton with her daughter Sue and family from Germany.
Granny’s 100 Years
Video made by Fenella Greenfield shown at GG’s 100th Birthday Celebration at the Sefton Hotel.
The Greenfields 