It is hard for me to believe that I knew Pony for over 70 years – it seems like not one but several lifetimes. We met in Hull in 1948 through a mutual friend; I was at art college and on Saturdays a crowd of us would meet at Jenny’s, a coffee shop in the town centre. Pony wasn’t studying art, but nevertheless was a talented artist and dressmaker; I remember how she would buy a length of material in Hull market and whip up an outfit for a night out. At the time she was working in a department store but soon got a job in the art department of a local paper, the Hull Daily Mail. She excelled, of course, at creating fashion ads. Pony was ambitious and worked hard – she moved up to London where she met her future husband, Nat. I remember her telling me how, early on in their relationship, Nat had persuaded her to let him invest her savings and had then surprised her with the original investment and a car. Pony’s life and mine went in different directions, both literally and metaphorically - I eventually settled in Wales and then later moved Abroad, while Pony lived in London. But we kept in touch. My middle daughter worked briefly as a nanny for Pony’s daughter Sacha in the 1970s. I visited her in London when I could, and latterly we kept in touch over the phone. It was only a fortnight ago that we spoke.

I enjoyed her stories and admired her fiery spirit. I will miss her a lot – she was one of my oldest friends.
Isabelle Collins