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Molly Killick celebrates her 100th birthday in the pub in Woolton Hill where she was born




A century after she was born in the very building, one Woolton Hill woman has celebrated her 100th birthday there.

Molly Killick, nee Culling, was born the youngest of six children on October 2 at The Wheatsheaf pub, where her parents, Charlie and Ethel, were the landlords.

Molly Killick celebrates her 100th birthday at The Rampant Cat, the pub where she was born
Molly Killick celebrates her 100th birthday at The Rampant Cat, the pub where she was born

Now The Rampant Cat, Molly was joined by twenty family and friends, for a party at the pub on Saturday (October 5).

There was a very special cake with a lumbergill theme to recognise her contribution to the war effort, a huge balloon stack and a glass of fizz to toast the centenarian.

Molly had what she described as “an idyllic rural childhood” in Woolton Hill, where she went to the village primary school, before secondary school took her on the bus to Newbury each day.

Molly Killick with her birthday card from the King
Molly Killick with her birthday card from the King
Molly Killick celebrates her 100th birthday at The Rampant Cat, the pub where she was born
Molly Killick celebrates her 100th birthday at The Rampant Cat, the pub where she was born

Molly’s father was also the village postman and the round included Highclere Castle.

And it was Lord and Lady Carnarvon who sent food to aid her recovery when Molly became ill with whooping cough and pneumonia, aged just four.

She lived in the pub until war broke out in 1939 and she left the village to join the Timber Corps, felling trees to be turned in pit props for the coal mines.

Peter said: “We celebrated mum's 80th birthday with a meal at the Rampant Cat, never thinking we'd be back twenty years later!

“For her 90th she wanted to go to Paris, so we did.”

He shared a number of stories of Molly’s life with the Newbury Weekly News, including the day an armed German bomber crew surrendered to her as she drove a tractor and trailer through Ashdown forest, where she had been posted.

“One of them was obviously injured,” he added. “They were the crew of a German bomber that had crashed in the forest the night before. They put their hands up and tried to surrender to mum.

Molly Killick celebrates her 100th birthday at The Rampant Cat, the pub where she was born
Molly Killick celebrates her 100th birthday at The Rampant Cat, the pub where she was born

“She was quite anxious as they were armed but she motioned for them to get on the trailer. She drove out of the forest and found some home guard soldiers to turn the airmen over to.”

When the timber corps was disbanded at the end of the war Molly reported to Hungerford labour exchange and was offered two jobs - one was with the NAAFI in Germany, the other was being a driver at the Royal Aircraft Establishment in Farnborough.

She chose Farnborough which is where she met Tom, who would go on to become her husband.

They were married for 43 years and have one son, Peter, two grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Happy birthday Molly.



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