THE village of Great Broughton has lost one of its best known and most popular figures with the death of Mrs Margaret Sutcliffe. Aged 95, she had lived for many years in a prominent bungalow on the edge of the village. There, her husband, Len, created a garden that was an acknowledged village showpiece.

Following his death in 2009, Mrs Sutcliffe, then in her eighties, drew admiration and astonishment from villagers by devoting herself to the garden with equal zest and care. With some family help she maintained it somewhere near the exceptional standard set by her husband. Like him, however, she was always ready to break off to chat with passers-by or visitors, especially old friends in the village.

Born Margaret Heaviside in Great Ayton, the third of five children, Mrs Sutcliffe left school at 14 and entered domestic service. She began happily at Newton Hall, Newton-under-Roseberry, but when she moved to a house at Marton she received such unkind treatment that she ran away, with another similarly unhappy serving girl.

At 15 Margaret met her future husband, employed by a local builder, at a dance in her home village. They became sweethearts, travelling on bicycles to dances further afield. They kept in touch while Mr Sutcliffe served in the Second World War as a RAF wireless operator. In Burma he experienced intense action which cut off his airfield for several weeks.

Marrying at Great Ayton in 1947 the couple spent their first three years of marriage at Battersby Old Hall, Margaret’s then place of domestic work. Len branched out as a self-employed joiner, which he still pursued when the couple took over a smallholding, Westgarth, in Great Broughton in 1950. This soon became a veritable farm, well stocked with sheep, cattle, pigs, hens and turkeys.

Margaret looked after the poultry, while Len became noted for his pigs, which won prizes at the Yorkshire and Stokesley agricultural shows, among others.

To offset all the hard work, the couple regularly picnicked at weekends with their three children, Terry, Diane and Mandy. They favoured grassy spots ideal for cricket, a great passion with Len.

In 1976 the couple moved to a bungalow, Ingle Hill, specially-built for them. Alongside Len’s joinery and gardening Margaret launched a bed-and-breakfast business. Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Walk had recently been created and this, coupled with the already-popular Cleveland Way, proved the foundation of her trade, attracting visitors from around the world. Many of her guests became firm friends, returning annually. Always enjoying the company, Margaret carried on with this until ill health brought retirement several years after Len’s death.

Mrs Sutcliffe died on December 22. Conducted by the vicar, the Rev Anne Heading, her funeral service, with Covid restrictions, was held on Friday, January 8 at the parish church, St Augustine’s, Kirkby-in-Cleveland. Very sadly Len and Margaret’s eldest daughter, Diane, died in 2002 but she now leaves not only Terry and Mandy but daughter-in-law Anne, son-in-law Jonathan and four grandchildren – Martin, Philip, Max and Sam.

Paying family tribute to her mother, daughter Mandy said: “She was a true Yorkshirewoman. She had a life of hard work but was always happy doing it. To us she was the best mum anyone could wish for, kind, thoughtful and generous. She loved time spent with friends. She also liked nothing more than fish and chips at Whitby and we regret not being able to give her this treat during the pandemic. We are touched by the huge response to her death. Even the man who regularly delivers lemonade for her was upset. But it is a comfort to know she will be missed by so many."