Les from Southsea celebrates a century of life

Known to friends and family as Les, more than 120 people attended his party – a combination of family, fellow residents of Homesea House in Southsea and members of Jubilee Church, which he attends.

The day after Les’s birthday, around 45 members of his extended family travelled from various parts of England, Scotland and Southern Ireland to join him for a second party.

Les also received many messages of goodwill sent by other relatives and friends, some of whom live in Canada and Australia.

Les was born in Kingston-upon-Hull to John and Ethel Wright as one of four sons and two daughters and lived in Hull through his school years.

He attended Mason Street Pentecostal Church along with most of his family and trained for the ministry, gaining his credentials early in the 1940s.

In 1939 Les married Grace Pullen, who also attended the same church, and had three children – Joyce, Christine and Bruce – before becoming life-long foster parents to Richard in 1961.

In 1965, Les and his family moved to Portsmouth and became members of the Elim Church in Arundel Street, where Les was secretary.

In the mid-1980s Les and Grace joined the Jubilee Church in Somers Road, Southsea where he became a church elder and held the office of treasurer for many years.

Les was head cashier for a firm of solicitors until he retired and became the principal carer for his wife. Unfortunately Grace died in 1990, but at the age of 84 Les found love again with his second wife Sylvia, who he was married to for 13 years after meeting her at church.

Les requested that a donation be made, by those who wished, to the Fisherman’s Mission – an organisation that he feels close to as his father was a Hull trawlerman.