A COMMUNITY has said its farewells to an elderly lady whose life was as colourful as a Hollywood film.

A packed congregation attended the funeral of Barbara Hayward, a 92-year-old community stalwart from Staindrop, County Durham.

The Reverend Alec Harding, the area Dean of Barnard Castle, led the service and paid tribute to Mrs Hayward, who spent a year escaping the Nazis in Europe.

He said: "We are here to mourn Barbara's death, but also to give thanks for a long life well led."

Mrs Haywood's son David said: "Above all, my mum loved talking. She loved mingling with the visitors at Raby Castle with her dog, Misty. She would pounce on people and would invite them back to her garden, where she related her favourite stories."

He recalled her many stories, including the time she had asked Fred Astaire for a dance during a cruise.

She had also spent two days with the Norwegian prime minister as they escaped the Nazis, and once met the Duke of Edinburgh and asked him if she could meet the Queen.

Mrs Haywood was one of the first ever sea-going Wrens.

David said: "When she died on Good Friday, she had already outlived most of her peer group, but the sight of so many much younger peo-ple here today is witness that she still had a lot of good friends."

The congregation sang Dear Lord and Father of Mankind, and Lord of All Hopefulness, Lord of all Joy, and listened to Mrs Hayward's grandson, Justin, read an extract from a work written by Victor Hugo.

Rev Harding said: "We will mourn Barbara's death, but we recognise that she lived her life to the full, and for that we are grateful.

"She lived a long and fruitful life that touched many others."