TRIBUTES have been paid to one of Aberporth’s best-loved residents who has died at the age of 98.

Mary Bott was well-known locally for her charity fundraising and community good works plus a bottomless hoard of saucy jokes.

“She was one heck of a character,” said one village resident this morning. “Aberporth has unfortunately lost a few over the past couple of years – and Mary was one of the biggest.

“The village will be poorer without her.”

Born in London, she worked as a land girl during World War Two before starting a long-time career as a teacher.

Back in October 2014 Blaenporth Male Voice Choir made a surprise appearance at a party to celebrate her 90th birthday at The Cliff Hotel in Gwbert.

Mrs Bott was a staunch Welsh Liberal Democrat campaigner and the-then Ceredigion MP Mark Williams joined around 100 guests to mark the occasion.

Earlier this year she appeared on the ITV Wales documentary ‘Greatest Generation’ in which she recalled her wartime service in the Women's Land Army.

She remembered hard, labour-intensive work under harsh conditions with some very interesting experiences along the way.

Born in London in 1924, Mary's parents were from Cardiganshire. Already staying in north Wales at the start of the conflict in September 1939, she remained in Wales for the duration of the war.

Initially she worked for the Welsh Board of Health in Cardiff and then by 1944, having been ‘called up’, elected to join the Women’s Land Army and moved to Cardiganshire.

During this period of her life which lasted for two years, Mary worked on farms in and around Llangeitho, Llanarth, Tresaith and Rhydlewis, finishing up at a farm in Penparcau by the war’s end.

Post-war, Mary remained in Ceredigion, becoming a primary school teacher and renowned community volunteer and fund-raiser and receiving an MBE for her services to volunteering and the community.

A public funeral service will be held tomorrow (Saturday) at Hen Gapel, Aberporth, at 10.30am and at Parc Gwyn Crematorium, Narberth.

A great-grandmother, Mrs Bott is survived by her daughters, Jane and Anne, and son Tony. She was pre-deceased by her husband, Raymond, and eldest son, Peter.