THERE was standing room only at the funeral of veteran councillor and arts advocate Stella Robson today (Monday, August 3).

Music from Beethoven and poignant words from Christina Rossetti marked Mrs Robson’s life-long interests as her children, Kate and David, led crowds of colourfully-dressed mourners in paying homage to the woman who dedicated her life to campaigning for others.

Born in Leeds in 1935, she settled in the North-East where she became a councillor for first Durham and then for Darlington, where she also served as mayor.

With strong socialist values and an avid interest in equality for all, Mrs Robson quickly became noted for her conviction, compassion and dedication to improving lives across the region.

Partially-sighted herself, Mrs Robson worked tirelessly to improve access to the arts for everyone, serving as chairwoman of the Northern Arts Council, chairwoman of the Northern Sinfonia and chairwoman of the Arts and Disability Monitoring Committee for the Arts Council.

The simple humanist ceremony, at Darlington Crematorium, saw Mrs Robson praised for her unwavering commitment to the principles she held dear – whether it was dealing with hecklers during women’s rights marches in the 1960s or improving access to literature for the visually-impaired in Darlington.

A moving address from her son, David, paid tribute to the mother who instilled values that prioritised ‘doing things, not owning things’.

He said: “Mum very much valued experience over things – enjoying things, doing things and living, rather than owning things.

“For Kate and me and for our children, mum made sure we got to see, do and appreciate.

“From her own experience and her strong socialist fabric came a conviction that access to these experiences for everybody was hugely important.

“She believed that that painting, that musical performance, that landscape were things that should be for everyone to enjoy.

“Believe you me, we are proud of her.”

Leading the service, humanist speaker Gary Hope shared treasured family memories and paid tribute to the courageous, dedicated woman who inspired others by leading with a ‘firm hand in the softest of velvet gloves’.

He said: “She was a traditional socialist with quite a radical outlook who remained true to her principles and lived by them with passion.”

Mrs Robson – wife of former Darlington mayor Frank Robson – died at home on Saturday, July 25 following a short illness.