Two centuries are celebrated at Petworth and Fernhurst

At Fernhurst Reg Parkhouse celebrates his 100th birthday on Thursday (Deccember 14) and friends and family gathered at Fernhurst Village Hall yesterday (Sunday, December 10) to mark the big event.

There was also a gathering of residents, friends and family at Rotherlea care home in Petworth where Peg Lintott, a former Stedham resident also notched up one hundred years on November 29. Reg Parkhouse, a familiar face in Fernhurst still attends the annual Remembrance Day services at Fernhurst and was there as usual last month as he prepared to celebrate his milestone birthday.

About 50 people attended his birthday party, some travelling miles for the event, including his daughter-in-law Glenys’ sister and her husband who came from Tauranga in New Zealand.

Among the other guests at the party were former work colleagues and friends from ICI where he was a vehicle workshop foreman for 33 years.

There were also friends from the village Scout group as Reg had been connected with the Scouts for most of his life and Scout leader at Fernhurst for 19 years.

“It was a great event, with background music from the 1930s and 40s playing and past picture memories showing on large screens on the hall stage,” said his son Terry.

Reg welcomed everyone, with the aid of a microphone, before cutting the cake in the shape of the figure ‘100’ made by his daughter-in law Glenys, and receiving a toast before everyone sang ‘Happy Birthday’.

There were table decorations in lavender, in memory of Reg’s late wife Lavender and large helium balloons spelling ‘REG 100’ completed the scene.

Peg Lintott celebrated her milestone birthday with a card and message from the Queen and a party at Rotherlea which included fellow residents, staff, family and friends.

Among those present were her sons Wayne and his wife Belinda and Gary with his wife Linda, her grandchildren and her nephew Eddie Lintott.

Peg came to live in the Midhurst area during the war when she worked in service. She later met Eddie’s uncle Dennis and the couple were married.

They lived for a while in Lutenor Road, Easebourne before moving to their family home in Stedham.

Dennis died 12 years ago and Peg continued to live on her own in the village until some two years ago.

She lived for a short while at a residential home in Selsey until she was able to come back to the Midhurst area moving into the Petworth residential home.

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1) Make our website your homepage at www.midhurstandpetworth.co.uk/

2) Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MidhurstandPetworthObserver

3) Follow us on Twitter @mid_pet_obs

4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

The Midhurst and Petworth Observer - always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.