Edith Hoddinott

Just over a month after reaching her 90th birthday respected Timsbury resident Edith Hoddinott has died at the Bloomfield Care Home at Paulton. Mrs Hoddinott had never really recovered from the loss of her sister Clarice in November 2008 and her death followed ten weeks at the RUH Bath.

Mrs Hoddinott was born on November 13 1919 at Hillside Farm Farmborough where her parents Fred and Nina Notley ran a dairy farm. Together with her two older sisters Clarice and Ivy she attended Farmborough School before leaving at the age of 14 to help her parents on the farm. When she was 20 she met Eddie Hoddinott from Clutton Hill and they were married at Tabor Church Timsbury on June 11 1941.

The couple made their home at Bloomfield Stores with Edith’s sister Clarice who ran the grocery shop. It was to be her home for the rest of her life and both her sons Andrew and Grenville were born there. She worked for a time as a sales assistant at King’s of Bath and always spoke of her happy times there. Throughout her life she proved to be a natural carer looking after her mother, her father who came to live with them after the death of his wife, her husband who suffered from poor health and died in 1987 and latterly for her sister Clarice who was affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

Mrs Hoddinott was a gifted and creative person and her talents included making soft toys for the grandchildren, knitting and above all pastry making for which she was well known. In autumn she would make countless jars of marrow chutney and in earlier years helped her husband tend their garden. Thursdays were always half day at the grocery shop and Edith and Clarice would enjoy a shopping trip on the bus to Bath and Bristol.

Mrs Hoddinott was a devoted member of Tabor Church and the funeral service was held here led by the Pastor Andrew Jackson from Highbridge. It was followed by interment at Timsbury cemetery.

Mrs Hoddinott is survived by her sons, Andrew and Grenville, grandchildren Mandy, Liam, Laura and Carla and great-grandchildren Emma, Robert, Dan, Georgia, Maisey, Finley and Ciaran.

Report by Malcolm Tucker


Page published on: 1st February, 2010
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