Anne Rose tributes: Former North Walsham mayor dies aged 93

Now tributes have been paid to the great-grandmother, from North Walsham, who has died, aged 93.

Anne-Marie Hughes, the oldest of Mrs Rose’s four children, said: “She was never one to turn down a request and she had an enormous amount of energy.

"Even in her 80s, she was standing all day, every day at the WI stand at the Norfolk Show. 

Anne Rose enjoying a sweet treat (Image: Supplied by the family)“She was a real trailblazer studying law when she did, I think there were a lot of women who were inspired by her ability to get on with things.

“She encouraged a lot of women to give things a go.”

Mrs Rose was born in 1930 in Liverpool. Her father was a bank manager, and after several moves when she was a child, the family settled in Leicester. 

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Former North Walsham town mayor Anne Rose (Image: Supplied)Mrs Rose became passionate about tennis and played for her county and in the Wimbledon Junior Championships. 

After university, she spent time in Canada, and then moved to Walcott as her parents had retired to Norfolk. 

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She married Clifford Rose at the Norfolk Registry Office in 1967, and they were happily together until his death in 2018. 

Tributes have been paid to former North Walsham mayor Anne Rose (Image: Newsquest)Mrs Hughes said: “He was a very loyal consort and was always supportive of whatever hare-brained scheme she came up with next.” 

She had three other children - Sue Nash, Alan Pipper, and Liz Collier, and eventually 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Mrs Hughes said: “She was an only child, and it always amazed her that she produced what she used to call ‘her tribe’ and was very proud of them all.”

Mrs Rose moved to North Walsham in the late 1960s to practice property law, and the help community members gave her in finding and renovating a house and making her feel welcome always stuck with her. 

“The generosity of North Walsham left her with a great love for the town and a desire to do whatever she could for it, because people had been so kind to her,” Mrs Hughes said.

Mrs Rose’s other volunteer activities included serving as a governor at Millfield Country Primary and North Walsham High School and involvement with the Scouts and Girl Guides.

Mrs Hughes said: “She learned to spin and weave and was a handicraft teacher. She used to go around to all the old people’s homes and teach them to crochet and knit and get them doing something hands-on.”

She was the founder of the North Walsham branch of the charity Arthritis Care, and also ran a swimming club. 

Mrs Hughes added: “She served as a trustee of the Norfolk federation of WIs and acted as their treasurer. During that time she would travel all over the country attending events on behalf of the WI.”

Mrs Collier said she became a “surrogate mum” to a lot of her children’s friends, taking people under her wing and inviting “waifs and strays” around for Christmas. 

Mrs Hughes said: “She couldn’t bear the thought of anyone being alone at Christmas. We always received bags of coal and other gifts from people she had helped in the past and always remembered her kindness.”

Mrs Rose served on North Norfolk District Council and served for many years on North Walsham Town Council, and was town mayor in 1991-92 and again in 2010-11.

Mrs Hughes said: “She very much enjoyed her work as mayor because it introduced her to so many people.”

Mrs Rose’s funeral will take place on Monday, October 16 at 2.30pm, at North Walsham’s St Nicholas Church.