Tributes paid to former Saddleworth Parish Council chair

A FORMER chair of Saddleworth Parish Council has died at the age of 88 as her family honour a ‘great’ woman.

Enid Firth, who held the position in 2014 and 2015, passed away at her Springhead home after a lifetime of service.

As well as serving on Saddleworth Parish Council, reaching the post she followed her partner, the late Bill Cullen, into, she also did a lot for good causes.

And daughter Sue England paid tribute to her after her October 30 death ahead of her funeral, which takes place on Thursday, November 10.

She said: “Mum and Bill did a lot for the community and other people.

Enid Firth with Bill Cullen

“They were involved with the Lees Whit Friday Band Contest and with them both being on Saddleworth Parish Council, they did a lot for the area.”

Enid, born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire but who spent a lot of her life in the Selby area, met Bill on a holiday she was taking after her first husband died.

True love brought her to Saddleworth and love for Saddleworth developed as her love for her family never relented.

That was her daughters, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

“She was very forthright,” Sue added. “She’d let you know if she thought what you were saying was wrong.

“She met Bill on holiday, they started seeing each other and she eventually moved over here to be with him.

“But she loved it over here as after Bill died, we did say to her, ‘Do you want to move back over?’ and she replied, ‘No, no. I love it over here.’

Enid (right) pictured with some of her former colleagues

“She loved where she lived, her house and her road, and every year they put Christmas decorations up on the street.

“It was voted the best in the area. She was very proud of that.

“Mum was a very independent woman and was always immaculately dressed and turned out.

“If you looked at me when I was at mum’s house, you’d have said that hadn’t passed on but my sister Kate did.

“Mum always had us well turned out when we were younger. There were three of us but my eldest sister passed away a couple of years ago.

“We were always dressed really well. She was a great seamstress and used to make our winter coats.

“And she was very proud to be a great-grandmother.”

Enid will be buried alongside Bill at a private family ceremony following the funeral service at 1pm at St John the Baptist Hey, on Owen Fold in Lees,

After that, there will be a gathering at The Spinners Arms, on Woodbrook Road in Springhead.

Enid, who was elected to the Springhead Lower ward of Saddleworth Parish Council, used her time as chair to benefit the wider community.

At the end of her stint, a fund donated a huge “15,250 was donated to charities and good causes.

With the help of the Chairman’s Charity Committee, the money was raised over the last year with fundraisers including a cream tea, coffee mornings, a psychic night, a fashion show and more.

A large portion of the funds was shared between her three main chosen charities – Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Oldham Mountain Rescue Team and the Multiple Sclerosis Society.