Obituary

A GREAT-GRANDMOTHER who enjoyed riding motorcycles in her younger days has died aged 95.

Mrs Emma Duckworth, of Livesey, Blackburn, also drove an on-call ambulance during the Second World War.

Married to the late Frank Duckworth, who died in 1945, Mrs Duckworth was well-known in Blackburn. She was secretary of the Wilpshire branch of the Conservative Party in the old Darwen Constituency, wardrobe mistress with the Blackburn Arts Club and treasurer of the East Lancashire Ladies Luncheon Club.

Mrs Duckworth also worked as a volunteer for the District Nurse Service and would organise the cookery and craft tent at the annual Blackburn Agricultural Show held at Witton Park.

The daughter of a blacksmith based behind the Printer's Arms on Accrington Road, Blackburn, Mrs Duckworth studied domestic studies at a college in Manchester. On qualifying she became the first cookery demonstrator at the electricity showrooms on Darwen Street when electric cookers had just been introduced.

Her husband was a textile entrepreneur who built and ran a weaving shed on Oak Street, Blackburn, until it was closed during the war and used to store food.

The couple had two sons, Brian and Keith, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Brian Duckworth runs the Washbowl Launderette chain, where Mrs Duckworth worked part-time until she was 87, while Keith is an engineer famous for developing the Cosworth engine which has won more Grand Prix races than any other.

A service and cremation was held at Pleasington Crematorium, Blackburn, on yesterday.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.