TRIBUTES have been paid to a great grandmother who ran a chip shop in the centre of Whalley for more than 30 years.

Generose Thompson died on Wednesday at the age of 84 at Accrington Victoria Hospital following a short illness.

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Married to former Preston North End goalkeeper George Thompson, the couple moved to the Ribble Valley village following his retirement and ran the King Street Fish and Chip Shop for 36 years.

Known affectionately as ‘Mrs T’, the mum-of-two, grandmother-of-four and great grandmother-of-two was a former lady captain of Clitheroe Golf Club and also an honorary member.

The funeral service was staged at Whalley Parish Church where donations were given to the British Heart Foundation.

Born in 1931 in Cumbria, the young Generose Carling moved with her family to Scunthorpe where she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service just after the Second World War as a PT instructor.

It was in Scunthorpe that she met her husband George, who was playing for the town’s football team.

After the couple married, George was transferred to Preston North End and they moved to the city before George played in the 1954 FA Cup Final against West Brom.

George retired in the 1960s and the couple decided to set up shop in Whalley – a business which Generose ran for almost 40 years.

When Generose retired, the shop was sold and the couple moved to Clayton-le-Moors before George passed away in 2004 aged 77.

Generose is survived by her daughters Michelle and Lynette, granddaughters Carla, Tara, Scarlett and Lydia and great grandchildren Louis and Jenerose.

Her daughter Lynette Begi said: “Mum was a quick-witted, funny lady who always had a smile on her face.

“She was a lady who was full of energy and chatty with everyone she met.

“She will be greatly missed by everyone who knew her and it’s a huge loss to the family.“She was such a nice person and really fun to be around.

“Mum loved to go on holiday and we went camping every year when I was growing up.

“She was very well known in Whalley and the shop had a lot of regulars and she would know them all.”