GALLOWBARROW in Kendal lost its oldest resident earliest this month when Florence Hudson died at the age of 101.

Originally from Bradford, Florence was the younger of two daughters born to Robert and Jane Young who ran a grocery business in competition with a shop owned by William Morrison, founder of the superstore.

The Youngs moved on to run a sweet shop at Saltaire, which became renowned for its homemade ice cream among Bradfordians enjoying days out at the nearby Shipley Glenn.

Their shop also overlooked the railway station and Florence fondly remembered that it only cost two-and-five-pence ha’penny for a return ticket to Morecambe to go to a dance in an evening.

With the advent of WW2, Florence joined the Women’s Royal Land Army and found herself working on a farm near Baildon.

Wartime medals were not struck for members of the land army after hostilities ended, but that was rectified in 2008 and Florence very proudly received hers from Sir James Cropper at Carlisle Cathedral.

Florence met her late husband, Jack Hudson, through her old Hanson Grammar School friends and when he was hospitalised, after badly breaking his arm at work, he made sure she got a pass to visit him and that was the beginning of their life together.

They married at Bradford Cathedral and, because of their love of walking in the Lake District, honeymooned at the Royal Oak in Keswick.

Their only daughter, Margaret, was born in 1951. Florence was a stay-at-home mum and housewife and, in the days before paid care workers, sacrificed holiday and other opportunities to look after ageing parents and in-laws.

However, she played piano at Sunday School and became a talented embroiderer, creating pictures from photographs and enjoyed making tapestry for furnishings and kneelers at church.

On retirement Florence and Jack eventually moved to Heysham to be closer to Margaret and her husband Richard Belk, and their granddaughters Nina, Janet and Lauren, in Kendal.

Florence and Jack celebrated their golden wedding in 1998 and following Jack’s death in 2001 Florence moved to Gallowbarrow where she celebrated her 100th birthday last year.

After collapsing in May and breaking her hip, Florence was unable to return to her sheltered housing home and, after a lengthy stay in hospital, moved to Hillcroft Nursing Home at Carnforth where she died peacefully in her sleep on November 4.