100th birthday celebrations for Horsham resident with unusual name

Christmas Godfrey Evans was surrounded by family and friends at Glen Arun Care Home on Tuesday, December 24, and he received congratulations from all over the world including from Her Majesty The Queen.

Born in Aberdare, South Wales, on Christmas Eve in 1919, Godfrey (as he is known) was the youngest of six children.

He arrived close to midnight and got his unusual name after his father said ‘it must be Christmas’.

The family lived in Aberdare experiencing some very hard times. The four younger children had to go to the soup kitchen for food during the general strike.

With the assistance of the Salvation Army his father got a job and accommodation in East Dulwich. The family moved to join their father on May 1, 1930 ,and gradually as the older children started work things became a little easier.

He married Doris Eliza Feltham on January 31, 1942, and they had two daughters Ann and Margaret. Sadly Doris died in May 2011 but Godfrey found the strength to carry on and welcome new generations of his family.

After leaving the army he worked for London Country Buses in Crawley for 36 years. He can tell many a tale about being on the buses and old Crawley. He has now been retired for longer than he worked.

He attributes his long life to the occasional glass of sherry, and bread and dripping.

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