Family and friends gathered at Manea Church Rooms to wish a remarkable village resident a happy 90th birthday.
Maurice Short turned 90 on Thursday surrounded by well-wishers.
Born in Manea on February 25 1926 Maurice was one of John and Ethel Short’ 10 children. He worked on the family’s farm in Station Road for over 25 years until it was sold off and he went to work in a potato factory in New Road, Chatteris.
He still lives in Station Road and while most people his age are taking it easy and enjoying retirement Maurice still continues to be very active in the village community he loves.
Every Saturday sees him marking the football pitch ready for the weekend game - a job he has been doing since he was 13. He also helps put up the nets.
On Fridays he is at Manea Village Hall where he is caller for the weekly fundraising bingo nights - a job he has done for many years.
He is also the caller for weekly and monthly bingo nights at the Royal British Legion Club.
Maurice has never played football for the village side but he is one of the biggest supporters. Marking the pitch is just one of the things he does to help the club.
He also runs the Manea FC 100 week draw and for many years he acted as linesman.
On top of all this the ultra-busy 90-year-old is also a standby paperboy for the village shop, filling in to cover rounds when the regulars are off sick or on holiday.
In fact for his 80th birthday the shops owners bought him a new cycle, although he has been forced to give up riding that because of a bad knee.
Maurice, a widower since his wife Doris died 15 years ago, said: “I do it because I enjoy it. No-one puts a gun to my head to make me do these things, but it keeps me busy and gives me something to do that I enjoy. It gets me out and about in the village.”
He is celebrating with a second party this Sunday at the village hall.
Maurice, whose daughter Valerie Wright was among the guests at Thursday’s party, puts his long and active life down to never giving up and to not drinking or smoking.
His surviving brothers and sisters were also among those at the party which saw Maurice cutting a football-themed cake.
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