Sunday 16 April 2017






DEATH OF GOOSTREY CENTENARIAN


  Goostrey's oldest villager, Mrs Ruth Hough, has died only months after she moved into a home in the area. Ruth, who was 102,  lived in Brookfield Crescent and until recent times continued to take an active interest in local life and events. She was a regular member of the congregation  at St Luke's parish church where, with her late husband Ron, a former head teacher at Goostrey primary school, she was also a bellringer for many years. Her memories of local life will live on after her recollections were recorded on tape by Goostrey Archive Group for its oral history collection. She also "starred" in a radio documentary of author Alan Garner's nativity play "Bringing Holly from the Bongs" which was first performed in now demolished stables behind the Crown Inn 51 years ago. As part of the  BBC Radio 4 Extra programme about the play broadcast on Christmas Day 2015 she was interviewed as one of the behind the scenes helpers by producer Andy Cartwright along with original members of the cast who were pupils at Goostrey school. A villager said: "Ruth was an amazing woman. She took a tremendous interest in Goostrey and its organisations. Even at her advanced age, in recent times she continued to play bridge and went to church, but in the end I think she just wanted to slip away peacefully and quietly."
A former neighbour JulieAnn Leigh-Lockett, who now lives in Grand Island, New York State, with her family writes:
" She was a wonderful lady.She taught me how to make a hundred sandwiches from on tin of salmon for rose day refreshments and how to make perfect marmalade without bubbles, just like she did for the Women's Institute. I lived right next door to her for many years. A sad loss for all of us with memories".
Mrs Audrey Godfrey, the wife of the late Rev Ian Godfrey, vicar of Goostrey, who died last year, also has fond memories of Ruth,
She said: "Even though we were here for a short time,  my lasting memory of her will be with Ian and Ruth sitting in wheelchairs next to one another holding hands watching the Rose Queen place her wreath on the memorial at St. Luke’s last year. I said to Ian ‘are you two timing me?’ he replied ‘of course’ and Ruth chipped in ‘and haven’t I found myself a corker’! Happy days."

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