‘Independent’ and ‘lovely’ Thornhill great-grandmother - and relative of former West Indies cricket captain - celebrates 100th birthday
An “independent” and “lovely” Thornhill resident, who sailed to England from Barbados in the 1950s, has celebrated her 100th birthday.
Hazel Louise Goddard, who lives in Thornhill, was surprised by over 50 family and friends, and a buffet and cake celebration, at Di Bisco in Horbury, on Sunday, May 3, to mark the impressive milestone.
It is a life story that began on April 30, 1926, on Barbados.
A relative of the late John Goddard OBE, who captained the West Indies cricket team in 22 of his 27 Tests in the late 1940s and 1950s, from the small Caribbean island she made a brave journey in 1956, crossing the Atlantic ocean on the SS Colombie, to start a new life in England.
Like so many of her generation, she arrived with courage and determination, helping to shape the country we live in today.
She joined her husband who had travelled before her to buy a house in Savile Town where they raised their three children, Judy, Chris and Sarefa, and built a life.
After her husband’s passing in 1968, Hazel and the children moved to Thornhill, a place she’s been part of ever since.
A keen sewer, Hazel, who is a grandmother of six, as well as having six great-grandchildren, used to make dresses and clothing for her family, and for others, and worked for a time at manufacturing firm Saville Heaton & Co in Dewsbury.
She also liked visiting Dewsbury Market in its heyday, using the bus and completing jigsaws and crossword puzzles.
Granddaughter Lisa Taylor-Henson told the Reporter Series: “She gave so much of herself to those around her. She is now the last of her siblings, carrying with her a lifetime of memories, stories, and history.
“She is still quite an independent person and insists on doing her own cleaning. She paints her own nails and wears lipstick every time she leaves the house.
“She is a quiet person but always helpful. She is always there for you and she is just a lovely person.”
On asking Hazel what the secret to her long life was, she laughed and said: “A childhood growing up happy and carefree with no worries.
“And a healthy diet of fresh fish and vegetables. Also, a celibate life until marriage and no other men after her husband”.