100 year old Alfreda Astbury
Surrounded by family and friends, Alfreda Astbury celebrates her 100th birthday on Thursday, October 10 2024, in Edenballymore Lodge Care Home.
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00:00Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Freda, happy birthday to you.
00:17Hip hip, hooray, hip hip, hooray, hip hip, hooray.
00:22I'm Colin Asprey, I'll free this song.
00:28And what age is your mother now?
00:31100 today.
00:33Can you tell me about your mother, where is she from, where she grew up?
00:38My mother was born in County Tyrone, but then they moved to Messines Park, where she grew up.
00:51When she was 18, she joined the army, that was during World War II, and went to Scotland to help out there.
01:02So she was stationed up in Inverness, so in fact the story goes that she stole her older,
01:10or borrowed her older sister's birth certificate to sign up.
01:16So she spent time in the army, then came back, settled back into Messines Park.
01:24She worked as a receptionist in Curtis, opticians in Carlisle Road, and then married my father.
01:34So there's four of us in the family, I have one older sister, one older brother, and a younger sister, so that's the family.
01:46So they settled in Greenhalgh Avenue, out in Chantalla, so that's where we were brought up.
01:58And then moved, then after that, to Strathfoyle.
02:05My mother worked in Peter England's down there, although she did spend a lot of time working in Superfair actually, when it was originally built.
02:13But when we moved to Strathfoyle, she worked in Peter England's back track.
02:24What else can I tell you about her?
02:29What's your mother like?
02:34Amazing actually, it's really amazing.
02:37Because I didn't expect so many people to be here, to be quite honest.
02:42I thought maybe some immediate family, but no, it's great to see the turnout actually.
02:49And the congratulations from the King and Queen, and also the President.
02:56So, super.
02:58How's your mother doing?
03:02She's doing not too bad at her age.
03:06Quite a lot longer?
03:08Yes.
03:09Like cameras?
03:11So she has good days and bad days.
03:14There's days I come up and she sleeps when I come up to visit her, and other days she's alert and talkative.
03:22But what can we expect if she is 100?
03:52My name is Gavin Asprey and I'm Freda's granddaughter.
04:15How long have you been here?
04:20Yeah, so she used to look after both me and my sister at times after school and things like that.
04:26I spent a lot of my time when I've been at home going to her on a Sunday.
04:30And we used to just sit and chat and have tea and put the world to rights really.
04:35She's a great sense of humour, even underneath all the prim and properness from the generation she grew up in.
04:43Great, great sense of humour, always a laugh and so, so generous with her time.
04:49And what's it like seeing everyone today for the AOD?
04:52It's so emotional and it's lovely.
04:55I think it speaks volumes to the type of woman that she is.
04:58And I'm delighted to see everyone and I know she will be thrilled as well.
05:03So can I get everyone just up in this direction now for a wee second?
05:08Okay folks, we'll just take a wee look at the photographer.
05:12Hey, he's got his holder.
05:15Okay, give us a smile.
05:19Okay, smile.
05:21One more, one more.
05:24One more and get on here.
05:27Now folks, smiles if you want to be here today.
05:30I'm the Minister of Drummond Coast Congregation in the Valley, where Freda has been a member for many, many years.
05:36And I only met Freda about a year ago whenever I found out that she was in the home here.
05:41And I know she's been looked after really, really well.
05:44And it's just lovely that this celebration can happen here in the home with staff, with family, with friends.
05:51And we have a couple of special guests with us today who have already been speaking to Freda to pass on their good wishes on her 100th birthday.
05:59And the Lord Lieutenant Ian Crow is with us.
06:02And also another Ian.
06:05Ian, I've forgotten your surname, sorry.
06:08Ian McNee is a past moderator of the Presbyterian Church.
06:11And I know that that means a lot for Freda, for him to be able to be here as well.
06:17So on behalf of Drummond Coast Church, I just want to pass on our good wishes to Freda and to all of you as a family on this very, very special occasion.
06:26And I'll hand over to the Lord Lieutenant now to say a few words.
06:30Thank you very much.
06:32Family and friends, it's a great honor for all of us to be here, especially on this occasion.
06:38I'm sure it doesn't happen too often.
06:40But it's a great milestone.
06:42And I was certainly delighted to hand over a card from the King and Queen to Freda on the celebration of her 100th year.
06:50This happens quite a lot in the city.
06:54And I've had about, I think, six this year, 100 birthdays.
06:58A hundred plus, in fact, in the city.
07:01So I think there's something in the air that keeps us going.
07:04So listen, congratulations and thank you very much to all the family for all your good wishes.
07:15Like the Lord Lieutenant, when there's a 100th birthday with any of the Presbyterians throughout Ireland, normally the moderator is able to go and to bring the best wishes of the church.
07:26Sometimes the moderator can't go and he sends someone who previously has been a moderator, and that's myself.
07:32So it's been a delight to be here, to meet with Freda here and her family.
07:37There are quite a number, as the Lord Lieutenant said, of folks around this area who are 100 plus.
07:43And throughout the land at this time, the year that I was moderator, there were 16 Presbyterians who were 100 or over.
07:53And I know this year there has been a proliferation with a huge number of people who are aged 100 or over.
08:02So it's a real delight to be here.
08:04We thank the family very much for the invitation.
08:06And we do pray that the family will know God's blessing and that Freda will be spared to celebrate her next 100th birthday.
08:16My mother-in-law was 100 a few years ago.
08:21And we said, I wonder, will she make 101?
08:23And she made 101.
08:24Will she make 102?
08:25She made 102.
08:26But unfortunately, she didn't make 103.
08:28But it's a delight to be here.
08:30And thank you very much for the invitation.
08:35So the Lord Lieutenant has presented the card on behalf of the King and Queen to Freda today.
08:43And Ian, our past moderator, has presented a card on behalf of Presbyterian Church.
08:48But there's just another very important communication that has come from the President of Ireland.
08:54He has sent a letter to Freda on this special occasion.
08:57And I'm just going to read that out now.
08:59Dear Mrs. Asprey, I have learned with great pleasure that you will celebrate on the 10th of October, 2024, the 100th anniversary of your birth.
09:07What a wonderful occasion for you, your extended family and friends, as you reminisce and celebrate a life great in years.
09:14And I have no doubt rich in accomplishments.
09:16I join with your family and friends in wishing you a very happy birthday.
09:20You have lived through remarkable times in the history of Ireland and the world.
09:24You have witnessed remarkable changes in lifestyles and technological developments unimaginable at the time of your birth in 1924.
09:32May you be surrounded today by the warmth of happy memories and secure in the knowledge that you continue to make this world a better place to all who love you.
09:42I am delighted to send my warmest personal congratulations and most sincere good wishes along with the enclosed centenarian payment.
09:53Yours sincerely, Michael D. Higgins.
10:00Folks, it has been lovely to be with you today to share this special occasion with Freda, who is dear to all of us.
10:06I think there's some entertainment lined up and there's some foodstuffs on the way later on.
10:11So we trust that you enjoy the rest of this special day of celebration with Freda.