RIP Ann Hearle 9 November 2020

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Funeral of Ann Hearle

Ann Hearle’s funeral will take place at St. Thomas’s Church Mellor on Monday 30th November at 11am.
 
Sadly, one of the consequences of the Covid19 pandemic is the restriction imposed on the numbers attending funeral services. The restrictions mean that only 30 people can be present in church and 10 at the graveside. The 30 places in church have had to be allocated firstly to Ann’s family and then the final 7 to friends. Please only come to the church if you have received an invitation.
 
The family have arranged for the service to be streamed live over the internet and to be made available afterwards on YouTube for friends to view at a later date.
 
The details for joining the funeral live on line can be read by clicking here. * (Please read note below.)
 
Because of Covid19 restrictions the family is anxious that friends do not assemble either outside the church gates or in the church car park and would encourage you to join via the live streaming or restrict paying your last respects to being on Longhurst Lane. The hearse will be travelling up Longhurst Lane at 10.40am
 
The family have advised that, when the rules allow, there will be a memorial service followed by an opportunity to celebrate Ann’s life.

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Very sad lovely lady R.I.P Ann

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I'm very sad to advise that Ann Hearle passed away at Arbour Court last week.

I'm pleased that I got to know Ann well, through my interest in local history and links to Marple Local History Society but particularly due to working with her on the Iron Bridge Restoration Project. Ann's involvement and support for the project gave our campaign much more kudos than this upstart web site would otherwise have had, as she was already a local history legend. However, she didn't only take a figurehead type of role and came to just about every meeting we had with council and contractors alike to provide her own and the History Society's support. That's why we chose Ann instead of a "celebrity" to cut the ribbon when the bridge was reopened following completion of the project way back in 2008. Ann was our celebrity!



Here's a more formal tribute from Hilary Atkinson, present day Chairman of Marple Local History Society:

It is with great sadness that I write to inform you of the death of the Society's President, Ann Hearle, who passed away on the 9th of November at Arbour Court in Marple, having suffered ill-health for some time.
 
Ann joined the Society in 1987 and shortly afterwards became Chairman, a position she held until 2008, during which period membership doubled to almost 100, and then again for a year in the 2017-2018 season. Her great knowledge of, and assiduous commitment to, local history, coupled with her infectious enthusiasm for the subject all contributed to the successful growth of the Society and its activities.
 
Ann was well known in Mellor and Marple and, together with her late husband John, was instrumental in setting up The Mellor Archaeological Trust. Many members will have fond memories of the annual July cheese and wine parties they hosted in their home, The Old Vicarage, where we were treated to looking at items from the archives, viewing Ann's vast postcard collection and learning about the Iron Age fort in their garden. Ann was also much involved in the restoration of the iron bridge in Brabyns Park, wrote three books for The Society (Marple and Mellor a new history, Brabyns Hall and Park, and Hollins Mill) as well as compiling three books of archive photographs of Marple and Mellor.
 
We were very fortunate that over the years Ann was always happy to share her considerable research work with The Society and indeed, when she moved from The Old Vicarage into her small apartment in Marple she and I spent many happy hours sorting through her many papers which are now in the Society's Archives. She will be sorely missed.




Ann above right in 1996 with Kirsten Western (left) and Audrey Featherstone at their Marple Hall Exhibition, and below with husband John.