A TRIBUTE TO LOIS
I was surprised and delighted when David asked me to give an appreciation of Lois and her life here in Wedmore.

Michael and I first met Lois and Mike nearly thirty years ago when we arrived in Wedmore. We were attending a service here in St Mary’s and were warmly greeted by a tall, handsome couple and Mike was wearing an Old Cliftonian tie.   By sheer chance – or good fortune – so was my Michael.  This in itself was serendipitous as I don’t think I can ever recall him wearing it before.

It was much later and after Mike died that I really got to know Lois.  I didn’t know a lot about their early life here in Wedmore and there aren’t many I could ask as most have preceded her but I do know that they had been involved in the community and had a large group of friends who enjoyed life together and celebrated each others’ birthdays by lunching together.  They were members of the Cheddar Theatre Goers and enjoyed trips around the country with them.  Rene, who Lois met early on introduced her to the WI and the Tuesday Club and this was the start of a life-long friendship which included her husband Leslie and Mike.  The Tuesday Club was – and still is – a meeting point for the older people in the village to be looked after and served coffee, lunch and tea, all cooked for them by volunteers.  Mike organised the drivers, with military precision as you would expect, and Lois was one of the cooks. Lois continued with this until she began to realise she was quite a bit older than some of the old people she was serving so perhaps it was time to step aside.

Lois was also a member of the Gardening Club and we shared a love of gardening and plants as well as visiting gardens.  In fact several of my favourite plants came from Lois.    

Church and St Mary’s in particular, was important to Lois.  She attended services regularly and the early morning 8 am service was very special to her.  When it became too difficult to get to we attended the later mid-week eucharist together.    She had been a Sacristan, flower arranger and cleaner as well as enjoying the social life of the church.

As you see from her photograph she remained the elegant, poised and well dressed lady that she was, always made up and with her hair done. In fact Christine, her hairdresser, delayed her retirement to continue to look after Lois’ hair and I was flattered to be asked to help her choose a dress for her hundredth birthday party four years ago.  She also featured in a book of centenarians that year.

She was proud of all her family and was delighted when her great-grandchildren came along and we enjoyed looking at photos of them.
There was always coffee or tea on offer when I visited and often others there too.  She was hospitable, welcoming and interested in others.  She had an active, sharp mind and was a useful member of a Quiz team – especially with the cryptic questions. She read, did jigsaws and played Upword, a fiendishly difficult 3D version of Scrabble, with Jean her neighbour most afternoons until Jean had to move.  They were competitive and always kept the scores.

Lois was a wonderful dear friend of whom I was very fond and she is much missed.