Gwen Roberts 1935 - 2022
From the Parish News – July 2022.
Gwen Roberts 26th January 1935 - 28th April 2022.
The Funeral Service for Gwen Roberts was held at Denton URC Chapel on June 1st, where Rev. Bruno Boldrini officiated. There was a gathering at the Dove restaurant for the “Wake” after the Service.
Gwen's passing marks the end of another chapter in the residential history of Alburgh and Denton. She lived in Denton with her husband Freddie, for almost the whole of their 62 years of married life, in the cottage at No.1 Chapel Corner.
Gwen was born in Alburgh to Lawrence and Dorothy Aldous who lived at Flaxmans Close. One of a family of nine children, she went to the village school. But, apparently, it was reputed she had to spend much of her time there standing in the corner. Possibly her strong opinions and quick tongue, for which she was well known later, had already started to develop! She would help her father by delivering repaired shoes around the village during her school years. After school she had a variety of jobs starting with Mr and Mrs Stacey in Harleston, followed by a spell at Syleham Mill jeans factory and later at Clays printing works.
Freddie Roberts came to live in Manor Cottage, Manor Road, Denton with his father and mother when aged fourteen, one of a family of seven children. At this time, prior to 1960, Manor Cottage had no electricity or water laid on and some of the boys would sometimes be seen driving a pony and trap to Ivy Farm to fill churns with water for family use. Freddie worked at Manor Farm with Jack and Bert Wade and then with Keith Slarke who had an agricultural contracting business at Wood Farm. Later he became particularly well known in the area as a lorry driver for B.L.Leeder & Sons, millers at Long Stratton, delivering to farms in the district. In those days heavy sacks of corn were the norm (215Kgs. for a coomb sack of wheat) which he would have to handle. Eventually a serious accident with a mechanical loader caused a back injury that stopped him working and he was forced to take early retirement.
Fred and Gwen were married in 1955 in Alburgh and lived with Gwen's parents until they moved to Chapel Corner in the early 60's. Their daughter Angela was born in 1955 while in Alburgh but was educated at Denton School and Archbishop Sancroft High School in Harleston. She now lives in Woodton with her partner David. She was a familiar figure riding her horse through the village in her younger days.
Gwen became quite experienced at making her own and Angela's clothes, and found she had an artistic capability hand-making greetings cards which she sold at village functions. Both she and Fred were keen gardeners and together sold enough produce to buy the old stackyard behind their cottage to add to their garden. They were also both keen Norwich City fans and invariably on a Saturday morning would be seen going off to the matches in their immaculate Volvo.
In their later years, Fred died in November 2017 after spending eighteen month in The Moorings Care home, Gwen was diagnosed with Diabetes and was eventually registered Blind with only slight vision. But she enjoyed coming to the Tuesday lunches at Denton Village Hall where she could meet people and have a chat. When “covid” stopped this activity she took to sitting outside in her back porch on the roadside where people would see her and have a chat.
Our sympathy and condolences go to Angela and her partner David with their many friends and relations. Gwen and Fred were a devoted couple here together in Denton where they spent most of their lives.