FOND memories have been recalled on the death of a special lady who used to live at Buckingham Palace and became known as “everyone's favourite grandmother”.
Few commoners could boast stronger royal connections than Epping Green's Winifred Axford, who has died from cancer at the age of 92.
Her father Joseph Clark was King George V's coachman, and Winifred spent all her formative years growing up in the Royal Mews.
She immensely enjoyed her childhood and later in life would often give talks about it at functions.
Her daughter, Susan Axford, 50, said: “She described the Royal Mews as like a village, and she knew the royal family. She was very proud of them. Woe betide anyone who said anything against them.”
Winifred first left the royal household during the war when she served under the chief medical officer taking down the details of servicemen.
It was there she met her future husband Rae when, instead of giving her his serial nuber, he gave her his phone number. They married during the war and when it ended the couple moved into Lower Belgrave Street, in London, where Rae had a job as a brewery executive.
Winifred worked as a hairdresser and trained under Raymond Bessone, aka Mr Teasy-Weasy, at his salon in Mayfair.
She moved with her husband to Epping Green in 1962 and would stay there for the rest of her life.
Susan said: “They had to adapt to village life and at first my mother asked my father to promise her it wouldn't be longer than 18 months. She ended up adoring Epping Green and lived there for 48 years.”
Known to her friends as Freddie, Winifred became an entrenched member of the Epping community.
She would organise jazz nights and was a very active member of All Saints Church, even earning the moniker “The Ayatollah of Epping Green”.
Sarah Bard, 30, whose father Chris Bard was the late vicar of All Saints' Church became a close friend of Winifred.
She said: “Freddie was a beautiful lady, inside and out. She loved people and was always happy to give them her time. She was extremely funny, intelligent and kind. She had a very naughty side and it only made her more likeable. I've laughed with Freddie all my life and I will dearly miss her.”
Susan said: “She was feisty and quite opinionated- she was quite a character with a very sharp sense of humour.
“She was very involved with the Conservative Party but her main passion was certainly the church and looking after other people. She always had people's best interests at heart. She was my mother but she was everybody's favourite grandmother.”
"I would like to thank the numerous people that have donated generously to All Saints Church, Epping Upland, in my mother's memory and also for the large numbers of letters and cards of condolence.
"She was a remarkable lady and I am proud to be her daughter."
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