ONE of Wellington's oldest residents has died.

Wendy Bird, who had lived in Abbeyfield's Ivy House, in Corams Lane since 2005, was 102.

She was a well known figure in the town.

House manager Alisha Cordy described her as “a truly incredible woman”.

She added: “I could sit for hours listening to her wonderful life stories and never get bored.

“She really will be extremely missed by all Abbeyfield staff and many of the residents. Ivy House will never be the same again without Wendy.”

Born and raised in Cheltenham, Mrs Bird served in the Land Army in the Second World War, during which her first husband, Donald McIntosh, was killed.

After the war, she married John Bird in 1948 and together they ran a grocers’ shop in Worcester for 18 years before moving to Wellington in 1967 as landlord and landlady of the Sanford Arms, in South Street.

They ran the pub for seven years before moving to take over the bar at Wellington Sports Centre – Mr Bird running it first and then Mrs Bird after her husband took up a job with Taunton Deane Council.

However, tragedy struck again in 1977 when Mr Bird was one of three Wellington Bowling Club officials killed in a road accident near Ilminster.

After this, Mrs Bird joined Somerset County Cricket Club as membership secretary for three years and then went back behind the counter, running bars on the ground for the next 15 years and eventually retiring when she was 72.

On her 100th birthday two years ago, England legend Ian Botham sent her a personally-signed card along with a bottle of Chardonnay, produced by the wine company he now runs.

Mrs Bird is survived by her six children – Sandra (who still lives in Cheltenham), Bruce (Jersey), Terry (California), Madeleine and Ken (both Wellington) and Russell (Tiverton) – along with grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A celebration of her life will take place at Taunton Deane Crematorium on Wednesday, July 13, at 2pm.

For full information, go to www.wendybird.muchloved.com