Julia Mary Pidd 1927 -2013

Julia Pidd (nee Postlethwaite) died in October 2013 aged 86, after a number of years of ill health.

She will be remembered by many Firshill residents and members of St Cuthbert’s Church Fir Vale as one of the most active people in her community.

Julia was born on Skinnerthorpe Road Fir Vale on 19th August 1927. Her mother died when she was 8 and Julia helped bring up her 3 brothers; Jim (who is 92), Wally and Morrel, who died in 1944 in Scotland where he was training pilots for the RAF

In 1953 Julia married Jack from Addison Road, at St Cuthbert’s Church. They had two sons John and Mark, and lived on Goddard Hall Road.

Julia had a number of challenging jobs, first at Jessop Saville Steelworks, where she worked in the research department as a PA (personal assistant).

After having children she went to work at Utley plumbing and glazing merchants in Fir Vale. Later she worked for an accountants firm near the Northern General, where she stayed until she was 72.The firm asked her to stay on part-time after she was 60, but found they couldn’t manage without her and she continued working full time.

Julia moved to the Firshill estate in 1991, and was a long standing member of Firshill TARA. She loved the estate and had many friends there. She set up and helped maintain the Firshill community garden, which includes roses planted in memory of Jean Hayden, former chair of Firshill Tenants and Residents Association.

She helped organise the summer fair, and volunteered at the lunch club in the old Firshill Community Centre and later St James Lunch club. She was also an active member of the craft group.

In 2009 she received an Area Panel Award for long-standing contribution to the TARA. Councillor Jackie Drayton remembered the great contribution she made to the community,

“Julia was a wonderful person, kind,thoughtful,hard working and totally committed to getting the best for all members of her community and to improving the Firshill estate, where shelived. She was especially interested in gardening and wildlife and was instrumental in working with Green City Action to create the small Community garden on the estate. She will be missed!”

Throughout her life she volunteered at St Cuthbert’s church. She was heavily involved in the Guides, for which she won awards, as well as many church activities. Reverend Louise Collins, Vicar of St Cuthbert’s Fir Vale said,

“We at St Cuthbert's love and miss Julia Pidd very much. She was a lifelong member of this church and one of the ‘busy bees’ who make church and community life happen, a member of the Mothers Union, Women’s Fellowship, Friends of St Cuthbert’s, the Parochial Church Council and much more.

“Julia's toy tombola is legendary. All year round she would scour the charity shops, looking for sad and neglected soft toys, buy them and nurse them back to life with a spin in the washing machine, ready for a new home.

“Julia broke down the generation gap, relating to the young and not-so-young alike. No doubt her brilliant sense of wit and humour made this possible. Julia’s faith, the Christian faith, was integral to her life and made her who she was.”

Julia will be sadly missed by her family, including grandchildren Rachael and Mark. Rachael wrote this moving tribute to her Grandma:

Quite simply, my Grandma was the most wonderful, incredible person I will ever know. Grandma was so much more than a Grandma to me- she was my everything; my soul-mate, my friend, my role model. And what a role model I had! Grandma was clever and witty; strong and courageous. She had a voice that was heard and a faith that could not be shaken.Grandma had a love of life and a unique ability to look around and see the world in all its HD, 3D, glorious technicolour. She saw beauty in the smallest of things and this is one of the most precious gifts that she passed on to me.

Grandma had a generosity of spirit and a kindness that is unparalleled in this world. She cared passionately for her friends, her church and her local community, dedicating her time for many years to help out wherever she could and to make the world a better place for the community she lived in.

Grandma had a firm belief that it is better to do things, to get out there and experience life, than it is to own material things. This is something Grandma instilled in me and I am so grateful to her. Above all, Grandma loved her family – without hesitation, unconditionally,and she showed her love every day. My Grandma’s love and guidance made me the woman I am today.