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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Katie Williams

Edinburgh community pulls together for surprise party for 100-year-old resident

An Edinburgh centenarian was given a birthday party of a lifetime after the local community banded together.

Maureen Moss, who has no family living nearby, and whose husband recently died, celebrated the milestone birthday at Davidson's House in Colinton.

The 100-year-old was showered with gifts on Friday, April 7 after a plea from one of the nurses looking after her.

Maureen's husband passed away just a few weeks before the big birthday and while her nieces live in England, activities leader, Karolina, reached out to the community to ask if anyone would want to send her flowers or cards.

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To Maureen's surprise, a number of locals came to the care home run by the Salvation Army to wish her happy birthday, and showered her with gifts to mark the special occasion. After shedding a tear, her eyes lit up when a couple of children handed her cards they had made in the week.

Maureen celebrated a milestone birthday (Karoline Kuna)

She took a shining to young Adam, who's five (and three-quarters), and kindly gave Maureen one of his own key-rings.

Throughout the corridors, cards from local school and nursery children were hung like bunting with messages of well wishes.

More cards were added to the already impressive collection as mums stopped by to wish Maureen happy birthday and give her cards made by their kids - as well as joining Maureen for tea and chocolate cake - her favourite snack for her sweet tooth.

Locals from the area stopped by to wish Maureen a very special happy birthday (Edinburgh Live)

Speaking to Edinburgh Live, Karolina said: "I saw people advertising for other care homes, to send cards and things like that, so I thought it would be nice.

"I posted on Facebook to see if anyone wanted to send anything but then people started asking if they could come by.

"Her husband died a few weeks ago and it would have looked very differently if he was here. They would have done something just the two of them. But Maureen is so friendly and she loves company. And it's not every day you turn 100!"

She was showered with gifts at the surprise party (Edinburgh Live)

Maureen and Mr Moss didn't have children of their own, and chose to travel the world together instead. Born in Gibraltar in 1923, Maureen went on to work in the British Navy during the second world war and then studied at a university in India.

As King Charles III prepares for his coronation, Maureen has seen 25 prime ministers and five monarchs sit on the throne. Over the century, she has seen the ruling of King George V, King Edward VIII, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II.

On Friday, marking her 100th birthday, the global traveller was chuffed to receive a card from the King and Queen Consort as she dug into a second fabulous cake, that was complete with sparkling candles.

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