A proud Newarker who lived her whole life in the town is remembered

A proud Newarker who lived her entire life in the town has died, aged 96.

Audrey Rhodes’ life was spent with the parish church community and volunteering in the town.

She was born Audrey Yarnell on March 17, 1925, at Sleaford Road, Newark, the youngest child of Charlotte and Frank Yarnell. Her father died while Charlotte was pregnant.

She was baptised at Newark Parish Church and maintained strong connections there throughout her life, attending regularly and enjoying the Young Wives, Mother’s Union and helping with visitors.

During her childhood, Audrey learnt to swim in the River Trent, on the end of a pole held by the teacher.

She attended Mount Church of England primary and Barnby Road schools.

Although she contracted meningitis and was bed-bound for nine months, interrupting her schooling, she received prizes for English and cookery.

She left school at 14, starting work the day after war broke out in September 1939 as a retail assistant at Hunters in the Market Place and later at the Co-op.

In addition to working long hours in the shop, she served in the Auxiliary Fire Service, working overnight and other shifts at the fire station on Portland Street in Newark.

When some of the managers were called up to military service she was promoted to store manager and ran the Sutton-on-Trent and Collingham branches, even being rowed on a couple of occasions to the Sutton on Trent store when the River Trent was in flood.

Wartime was difficult, and she often spoke of the day she ran back to the family home to rescue her mother, who was hiding under the kitchen table surrounded by glass after the Ransome and Marles factory had been bombed nearby.

However, she enjoyed the dances at the town hall and the big bands that attended, including Glenn Miller.

It was at one of these dances that she met Wilfred Rhodes, her future husband. They met up whenever he got a pass to return home to Newark from his Royal Artillery service and wrote to each other daily when he was posted to India with the Royal Signals after the European conflict ended.

Audrey then worked at The Food Office, a government institution, issuing licences, rations and other documents until 1949 when she and Wilfred married at Newark Parish Church.

Their first child, Christine, was born in 1950.

Audrey took a position as warden in the Alms houses in Bede House Lane, checking on all of the residents twice daily.

From 1953 she collected for the Royal British Legion, earning a certificate and merit badge for 50 years’ service and once represented Newark at the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall. She was also an honorary friend of Newark RAFA.

After her daughter Nicola was born in 1962, she resumed working life in the school kitchens at Sconce Hills School, on playground duties and in the classrooms at the Mount School and later in a job at Cope Jewellers.

She was also a volunteer with the League of Friends of Newark Hospital, first helping with visitors and on flower duties at the former Newark General Hospital on London Road, then on the reception desk and in the Coffee Bar at the new Newark Hospital on Boundary Road.

Audrey loved walking, especially along the river trent and having the chance to travel. She enjoyed listening to poetry and music, read a wide variety of books, and once won first prize in the Lincoln Festival for her public speaking.

She was also a lay reader at the parish church, and a founder member and reader for the Advertiser Talking Newspaper, something that came full circle in her later years when she needed to receive it herself as her eyesight deteriorated.

Widowed in 2002, Audrey moved to the Cottage Homes on London Road, where she remained until her death.

She leaves a daughter, two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.