A popular character who was well known in Trowbridge for her sunny smile and fondness for wearing a distinctive pink hat has died aged 96. Pamela Harris, nee Udy, died on Monday, October 21 peacefully and at home.

She was buried on Friday, November 15 at Hilperton Cemetery, next to St Michael’s & All Angels Church where she had worshipped for 60 years, with 150 of her family and friends to send her on her way.

Born in St Thomas’s Passage, Trowbridge, Pam was a well-known figure around the town known as much for her ready smile and willingness to have a chat, as her headwear.

She was born at her grandmother’s house on January 10, 1928, round the corner from the boy who was to become her husband 28 years later.

Her Mum and Dad, Grace and Fred Udy, lived here for the first few years of Pam’s life until a bungalow was built for them in Eden Vale, Westbury, and it was here that she spent her formative years.

She went to Westbury Infants and juniors, followed by the Secondary Modern and attended Westbury Parish Church. Her family - immediate and extended - was incredibly important to Pam, from Wiltshire all the way to Cornwall.

Pam went on to do shorthand - a skill which incidentally never left her - and typing and then to work at County Hall. It was there that she re-met Des Harris, her childhood friend, whom she married in Westbury Parish Church in July 1954.

They went to live at Spring Lane, Bratton, where Des gardened and they both went to metalwork classes together amongst other things.

 They moved to the potting shed converted into a bungalow in the vegetable garden and the paddock of The Grange in Ashton Road, and set about building a family home, with Grace and Fred and Mark who had turned up in March 1959, and Jane in June 1961 and then Jonathan who arrived in 1966.

Pam was a member of the church community and joined the WI (she was their oldest member), was an Avon lady, raised funds for Dr Barnardo’s, collected for the Poppy Appeal, knitted for the whole family and always helping, always saying yes, always with a smile on her face and a word for everyone.

As the children went to secondary school in the 70s, Pam found herself another job as an escort on the minibuses which collected children from around Wiltshire to go to Ashton Street, later Larkrise, Special School but soon became a TA in the classroom whenever they were short of cover.

Obliged to retire at 70, the gap was fortuitously filled by her grandchildren, who came along thick and fast from 1995 to 2001. She happily babysat and spent as much time as possible with them all.

After Des died in 2017, and as her friends became fewer, she moved to Raleigh Court in Trowbridge. Every year Pam went to Cornwall for a holiday, a few days with Jane and the granddaughters, and this year was no exception.

Her faith was important to Pam for her whole life and largely combined with her love of music in the choir as a young woman in Westbury and again at St Michael and All Angels, Hilperton. She taught for many years at Sunday School.

At the service of celebration of Pam’s life, family and friend recalled her smile, how she was always welcoming, and full of laughter. People said: ‘Pam and Des always seemed to be having such fun’.

Over £400 raised from donations will be divided between Save the Children and the Poppy Appeal.