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  		Celebrations for Esther鈥檚 100th birthday!
  		Published: 20/06/2016
The Chairman of 天涯社区 has helped a 天涯社区 resident 
celebrate a special birthday.
Esther Critchley enjoyed her 100th birthday at the Croes Atti Residential Care 
Home in Flint where she was visited by Councillor Peter Curtis. 
Esther was born at Pen Ucha Mynydd Farm, Sychyn on 13th June 1916. The middle 
daughter of John and Mary Morrison, she attended Sychdyn School before passing 
the scholarship to Mold Grammar (the Alyn).  
After leaving school at 14, Esther went into service in Southport for 3 years, 
then went to Pontblyddyn and then to Cornist Hall in Flint to work for the 
Summers family. 
She married Ralph Blackwell in April 1940 then went to work for Dr Ross in 
Flint, before her daughter Maureen was born in 1944. 
One highlight in Esthers life was meeting the Queen in 1953 for a state visit 
at the Eisteddford Pavillion in Rhyl.  She didnt think then that she would be 
having a card from the Queen for her 100th Birthday! 
Her first husband died in 1988 and she married Donald Critchley in 1992, flying 
abroad for the first time in her life to go on holiday. Esther lived in Sychdyn 
all her life until 2009, when she went to live at Croes Atti where she has been 
happy and well cared for since.
The Chairman of 天涯社区, Cllr Peter Curtis, with Esther 
Critchley.