Madeline was the only child of John and Ruth Moore of Dudley Port in the West Midlands, and grew up a much loved member of an extended family of cousins, aunts and uncles all living in the local area as families did in those days. Born before the advent of radio and TV in every household, Madeline joined in the family musical evenings, as a girl she played the mandolin. Madeline always made friends easily and once you were her friend, you stayed her friend. She remained in touch with two school friends all her life and indeed her dear friend ‘Ep’ from Vancouver visited her as recently as February this year. Madeline often told the story of a teacher catching the two ten year olds talking in a lesson one day and warned that ‘they were the sort who started wars’! She met Charles at the office where they both worked, when she was 20 and he sweet 17! On their first date, she asked him his surname. ‘Blinkhorne’ he replied and was apparently very put out when she said, ‘No, your real name not your nickname’! In the second World War Madeline joined the then Women’s Auxilliary Air Force (WAAF) and was stationed at Plymouth where she made great friends. She had a responsible post as a Wireless Operator on the communications front line. At the end of the war she and a friend were posted to Pinewood studios to finish their time, where she worked briefly with film producer Jack Clayton and also David and Richard Attenborough. She told the tale that Richard Attenborough once remarked to her, ‘You don’t understand us film types, do you, Madeline?’ He was right, she didn’t. Very matter of fact was Maddie. Madeline and Charles married in February 1946 and produced three children – Carolyn, Richard and Nicholas - in the next five years. By then Charles had rejoined the Army and they lived in Yorkshire on the edge of the moors where the children ran free all day. But money was tight and these were not easy times. Then came four years in BAOR when a fourth child, Joanne was born and at the same time, the family finances took a turn for the better. For the first time in their married life, Madeline (Maddie came later) and Charles had fun! Then came postings to the south of England and to Libya, where they were when the six day war broke out in 1966. After some hair-raising escapades, the family came home unharmed and were posted to Lancashire and then Ballymena, Northern Ireland. They ended up in Orpington in Kent, from whence they retired and at last came to put down roots in and around Weston Super Mare. Where they lived happily ever after……. Maddie emerged from Madeline and became very much a part of the local scene, as a member of the Bridge Club, Bleadon Ladies Club, the RAFA Club, Conservative Club and the Osteoporosis Society. At the age of eighty four she walked 4 miles to and from Uphill along the beach in aid of OS and we thought she would go on forever. In her last illness she remained cheerful and brave, gracious and good humored to the very end, inspiring nursing staff and doctors with her fortitude. She loved people, she loved animals and she loved life. In her twenty years in this area, Maddie has made many wonderful friends. She has never wished to be anywhere else other than among her dearest friends and neighbours here in Weston. I know that this is where she wished to end her days. As in most things, gently Maddie got her way.