LIFELONG Bradford on Avon resident Betty Southwood died on March 26, aged 68.

She was born at home on St Margaret's Hill to Gladys and Ted Milsom, the middle daughter in a family of eight brothers and sisters. Her father worked at the Staverton Milk Factory.

She went to Trowbridge Road Primary School before going to Trinity Secondary School in Newtown.

Her first job was at the Co-op and then, like all the girls in those days, she worked at Avon Rubber Company where she made windscreen wiper blades, and thoroughly enjoyed the factory's cameraderie.

She said they would sing all day long as they worked and everyone knew each other there.

In 1958 she met and married Jim Wallace and the couple had three children, Lesley, Andrew and Sandra. She began to suffer from ill-health after becoming asthmatic when her first child was born but rarely complained, although she ended up in hospital many times.

She moved to work in the canteen at the Avon Rubber Company, where she served the office workers.

She then went on to work on the radios for A&D Taxis, and her voice became a familiar sound on the airwaves.

After more than 20 years of marriage she and her husband were divorced and she married taxi driver Bob Southwood in 1999.

Her husband and children say going out shopping with Mrs Southwood would always take a long time as she knew so many people and would always stop and chat.

Her children paid tribute to their stepfather, who gave up work to nurse their mother, and also to Dr Chisnall and the staff at the Bradford on Avon Health Centre. Mrs Southwood leaves her husband, children, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Her funeral service is on Friday April 4 at 4pm at the West Wiltshire crematorium, Semington. Donations in her memory can be made to Wiltshire Air Ambulance or the Asthma Association.

3:46pm Thursday 3rd April 2008

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