Sudbury woman Mary Wright celebrates 100th birthday alongside three generations of family

Surrounded by three generations of her family, Agnes Mary Wright, from Sudbury, marked her 100th birthday at the weekend.

Mrs Wright celebrated the landmark at Chilton Croft Nursing Home in Newton Road on Saturday with 48 family members.

Known as Mary to family and friends, she grew up at Assington Mill with two older sisters, Beatrice and Florence.

At the age of 14, she left school to care for her mother, Ellen.

Following her mother’s death, Mrs Wright met Harry, who worked on a farm, owned by her brother-in-law and sister Florence, in Chilton.

In 1939, the couple were married and lived in Bures Road where they had daughter Eileen and son Terry.

During the Second World War, Mrs Wright’s husband, Terry, was deployed to Burma as part of a British campaign to reclaim the country.

While he was away supporting the war effort, Eileen Sainsbury and brother Terry lived with their mother and grandad, William.

“My grandad was like a dad to us,” said Mrs Sainsbury, of Clermont Avenue, Sudbury. “He was wonderful.”

After Mr Wright returned from war, the couple moved to Little Cornard and had four more children – Ron, Barbara, Joan and David.

Living next to a large meadow, Mrs Sainsbury recalls spending a lot of time outdoors with her siblings.

“We used to make our own entertainment,” said the 80-year-old. “We were always outside, we didn’t have any television then.”

While the children were at school, Mrs Wright worked as a cleaner at various houses in the village before securing a position working at the post office in Bures, where she became a valued member of the team.

“They absolutely loved her, she had a lovely time,” added Mrs Sainsbury.

Mr and Mrs Wright had cherished 72 years of marriage together, before Harry died in 2012.

She has 11 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren.