MEMORIES of a Worcestershire world of long ago have come flooding back with the death of Rita Wilson, a member of the Philips farming dynasty of Claines, near Worcester.

Born in 1920, Rita was the youngest of six children of Claines farmer James Philips and his wife Eleanor.

The brother next to her in age was Dick Philips, who for many years farmed Church Farm, opposite Claines Church, while Linacres, the other half of her father's farm was farmed by another brother, Lloyd, until he retired.

Rita spent an idyllic country childhood. The whole family were keen riders and she inherited the old family pony at two, saying that the only problem was when she was out alone and fell off, she had to walk with her patient pony until she could reach something high enough to stand on to remount.

Her love of riding extended to competing in the local gymkhanas and hunter trials with her brother Lloyd on her ponies Tim and Wonderbar. Her love of the chase led to some fearless point-to-point riding where she famously lost her two front teeth riding a horse called Crikey. Rita followed in the footsteps of her sisters Eileen and Molly and went to the Alice Ottley School, Worcester where she stayed until she was 18, becoming head girl in her penultimate year.

Her love of outdoors extended to the games field and she captained the lacrosse and cricket teams and played for the school tennis team.

When the Second World War broke out, Rita was at Gloucester Domestic Science College, but keen to be in the thick of the war effort, she managed to get transferred to Morgan Crucible Company in Battersea, London, as assistant canteen manageress.

Soon she was asked to manage the company canteen at Norton, near Worcester. Rita remained there after the end of the war until she met her husband, Roy Wilson, from Bristol at a point-to-point in 1947.

Apparently as introductions were being made, Rita's hat blew off and Roy chased it for her. By way of thanks, he invited her for a drink, she responded by tipping him three winners and by the end of the afternoon they were firm friends.

The couple married in 1948 and moved to Swansea, where they had two children and lived happily until Roy died in 1981.

When Rita learned that Roy was dying of cancer, they decided that she would be happiest returning to Worcester after his death. So she bought a bungalow in Claines and returned to the place of her birth in 1982. Her funeral service was held at Claines Church last Thursday.