POPULAR Marlborough grandmother June Pike, who liked nothing better than to sit on one of the High Street benches and chat to all and sundry passing by, has died after a lengthy stay in Great Western Hospital.

Mrs Pike, 84, who lived in Laineys Close, died on Sunday, February 28 with her daughter Deirdre and son Neil at her hospital bedside.

Wiltshire Coroner David Ridley is to hold an inquest into her death.

The funeral will take place at St Mary’s Church on Tuesday, March 29 at 2pm and flowers or donations to Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal can be sent to funeral directors Dianne Mackinder at the Wagon Yard, London Road, Marlborough.

Later Mrs Pike will be laid to rest with her late husband Ron, who died in 2002, in Marlborough Cemetery in Frees Avenue.

Born in Poplar in London, Mrs Pike and her parents and oldest brother were evacuated out of the city following the Blitz in the Second World War. They had been bombed out of homes in the city five times before they were moved to the safety of Wiltshire.

They were initially evacuated to Norfolk where, said her daughter: “They were treated absolutely terribly and had to sleep on straw in a barn.”

They subsequently settled at Mildenhall Woodlands and then West Kennett.

Mrs Pike attended schools in Mildenhall and Avebury and her father found employment as a shepherd.

Her daughter said: “Mum used to recall one occasion at Avebury School when a Yank (one of the many American soldiers based near Marlborough) took her to school in a Jeep and all the other children were open mouthed when she arrived.”

Later, when Mrs Pike worked for the former Osmond farming family at West Kennett, she used to take one of their two daughters to school at Avebury on a donkey.

She met her husband through farming and they married in 1957 at St George’s Church at Preshute and made their home initially at Manton before moving to Laineys Close in the mid-1970s.

Her work included being a chamber maid at the former Ailesbury Arms Hotel, a housemaid at West Kennett Farm, a waitress at the former Georgian Restaurant, for a dry cleaners and at Garrards factory making record player components.

However, she will be remembered most of all for the 40 years she worked at the White Horse Bookshop.

Few days passed without Mrs Pike calling at the Polly Tearooms for tea and cake and her two great passions in life were crosswords and the singer Tom Jones who she saw in concert on many occasions.

Mr and Mrs Pike were for many years devout fans of Swindon Robins speedway team.

Former rector of Marlborough, Canon Henry Pearson, will officiate at the funeral.

Mrs Pike is survived by her daughter and son, grandson Nathan and by six of her 13 brothers and sisters.