A THANKSGIVING service at St Bartholomew's Church, Wootton Bassett, on March 24, commemorated the life of Ellen Winifred Carpenter, 86.

The Very Rev Brian Horlock recalled that Ellen was born into a large family at Chipping Norton in 1909. Her father died when she was ten. As a school leaver, Ellen went to work in a design office at the Tweed Mill, where she gained her wide knowledge and love of fabrics and design.

She and her fianc, Bill Carpenter, whom she had known since she was 14, were married at Chipping Norton in 1929, when Ellen was 20.

They settled happily in a house next door to Bill's parents at Shipton-under-Wychwood, and Ellen was welcomed warmly into their family.

At the start of the Second World War, Mr Carpenter was posted to Northern Ireland with the Ministry of Defence. Mr and Mrs Carpenter's only daughter, Mary, was born when they lived in Lisburn, County Antrim, where they spent nine years.

The Carpenters enjoyed involvement with the theatre, through ENSA, and Mrs Carpenter was a voluntary worker with the WVS. She completed a Home Tailoring course at Lisburn Technical College, where she gained exceptionally good results, and enhanced her flair for sewing, fabrics and design. She was soon in demand as a dressmaker.

In 1947 Bill was posted to RAF Lyneham, and after two years at Moredon the family made their home on the Air Ministry estate at Templars Firs, Wootton Bassett. Mrs Carpenter continued cooking and sewing, and built up a considerable business. She was noted for making and decorating wedding cakes, as well as for her dressmaking occasionally for an entire bridal party.

She also made costumes for Mollie Tanner's dance school at Swindon, where Mary was a pupil, and for other local school and theatrical productions.

Mr and Mrs Carpenter were members of the Civil Service Retirement Fellowship, with whom they enjoyed theatre trips. She attended meetings at Church Croft regularly until about seven years ago, when her health failed and she moved into residential care at Merlin Court Nursing Home in Marlborough.

After the service, the congregation shared further reminiscences at a buffet lunch at Church Croft.