Ada Collier

ONE of Box’s best-known residents, Ada Collier, died on April 3, aged 102. Mrs Collier was born on December 29, 1912 in Nuneaton, near Coventry, where she spent much of her childhood with her two older siblings.

Her father, William Wall, was the poor law officer for Warwickshire and it was in Warwick where she attended art school.

Throughout this time, Mrs Collier was also a keen horse rider and she was part-owner of a riding school in Bognor Regis before marrying her husband Henry, a stud groom.

They moved to Colerne in the 1960s, before settling in Box with their family. Mr Collier worked in the stables at Lucknam Park, tending the horses owned by Lieutenant Col Eion Merry, of the Royal Horse Guards, and Mrs Collier was regularly seen riding in the village.

She was quite well-known for holding up the traffic as she rode around the village on her horse and it was only when Mrs Collier was in her fifties that she passed her driving test.

Despite having four wheels to carry her around Box, she continued to ride horses.

Post-retirement, Mrs Collier was also a keen seamstress and enjoyed painting well into her later years.

At her 100th birthday celebrations in 2012, Mrs Collier was joined by more than 70 members of her family and was overwhelmed by the vast amount of cards she had including one from the Queen and Iain Duncan Smith, the Secretary for Work and Pensions.

Mrs Collier leaves her six children Ada, Henry, Peter, Barbara, Jean and Helen, her many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

Her funeral was held yesterday (Wednesday) at West Wiltshire Crematorium in Semington. Donations in memory of Mrs Collier should be sent to Wiltshire Air Ambulance.