MANY friends and relatives smiled rather than frowned yesterday as they remembered Marjorie Bell who has died at the age of 79.

For her lively sense of humour and broad smile had been cheering them up every day for years in the village of Winston near Barnard Castle.

She spread so much happiness that people attending her funeral on Friday are invited to tell amusing stories about her at a gathering in the village hall afterwards.

Mrs Bell, whose husband Arthur died about 30 years ago, had been in poor health but often joked about her illness.

Her sister, Jeannie Flintoff, said: "She had a wonderful sense of humour which delighted everyone she met. She was well liked by the whole village. We want her funeral to be a celebration of her life rather than a day of sorrow. I'm sure many people will recall some of the amusing things she said and did."

Mrs Bell always insisted on doing the washing up after every function in the village hall.

She was a churchwarden at Winston's St Andrew's Church for 13 years, throughout which she washed and ironed the church linen.

When a former rector, Canon Tim Ollier, returned to Winston from Teesside for a church anniversary last year he went straight to the hall sink, knowing she would be there.

Another friend, Vera Featherstone, said: "Marjorie was an ideal person to have at any village meeting, because her lovely sense of humour would get things going."

A formal notice about the funeral in The Northern Echo yesterday stated: "Family and friends are invited to Winston Village Hall after the service for a celebration of Marjorie's life - all stories welcome."

Mrs Bell leaves a daughter, Elizabeth and a son, Nigel. The service starts at St Andrew's Church at 10.30am.