A FORMER teacher and Ilkley mother-of-five has died at the age of 90.

Jean Laycock, of Stourton Road, a loyal supporter of the Ilkley Literature Festival, was treated at Airedale Hospital for 13 weeks after suffering a fractured hip in a fall in March, but died on June 27, just over a week after moving to a nursing home in the north east.

She had been successfully treated for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia over the previous eight years by Airedale consultant haematologist Dr Ann Cuthbert, whom she always praised for her care, compassion and professionalism.

Mrs Laycock, whose Quaker husband Leslie died in 2002, was born in Manchester and lived in a dozen places across the UK before moving to Ilkley in 1963.

She lived firstly in Queens Road and then Hangingstone Road and Wheatley Lane, before finally moving to a flat in Stourton Road in 2003.

She had three sons, David – who tragically died aged eight - Anthony and Mike, and two daughters, Carol and Jenny, and also had seven grandchildren, Rachel, Catherine, Richard, David, Chris, Matthew and Gabrielle, and three great-grandchildren, Erin, Isla and Jessica.

Her daughter, Carol, said: “She loved children, devoting her life to them both as a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, and also as a teacher."

After passing a number of O-levels as a mature student, she trained for a Certificate of Education at the former Ilkley College in the 1960s and then achieved a B.Ed degree at Leeds University before getting a job as a teacher at Nab Wood Middle School, Shipley, in 1971.

She went on to become Fourth Year team leader and Head of English until retiring in 1984.

Daughter, Jenny, said: "She used to bring parties of pupils across to Ilkley once a year to walk on the moors to inspire their creative writing."

In retirement, she enjoyed a number of activities including horse riding and ballroom dancing and became a home tutor, teaching literacy and numeracy skills to teenagers.

She also became an active member of the Ilkley U3A group, participating in theatre and travel trips, a book group, table tennis and croquet, and she also played bridge in Ilkley.

She was a Friend of the Ilkley Literature Festival and her involvement continued until last year, when she appeared on the 40th anniversary brochure cover and spoke inside about her memories of the festival.

The funeral service takes place at 2.30 pm on Wednesday July 9 at Durham Crematorium.