Special church service for Forest Gate centenarian

What a trooper! Maud Amess from Forest Gate celebrated her 100th birthday this week.

Born on May 2 1912, Maud has lived in Newham all of her life and St Antony’s Church in St Antony’s road held a personalised Mass for her on Sunday April 29 to celebrate her life.

A committed Catholic, Father Denis Hall conducted the birthday service for Maud who was unfortunately unable to attend due to the bad weather.

Her son, David Amess, Member of Parliament for Southend West, organsed the celebrations and spoke about her during the ceremony.

At the end of the service, Newham Air Training Corps played in her honour as Maud had served in the Women’s Land Army.

David said: “It was a marvelous, marvelous occasion. The whole service was about my mother and her life, the sermon was about my mother, the gifts they gave were about her, and the Newham Air Corps even came home with us to play for her.”

The first time a Conservative MP’s mother has celebrated a centenary, Mr Amess also brought up the occasion in the House of Commons during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday where Prime Minister David Cameron and Speaker of the House John Bercow paid tribute to Maud and wrote to her with their congratulations.

The day was organised and attended by family and friends including her son David, her daughter Angela Burns, and granddaughter Katherine Amess.