The first time I met her - several years ago - was in a pub called The Crown in Goostrey, where I was working at the time.

Mrs Cooke and her husband Brian used to come in now and then for lunch and we got chatting.

She told me she was an artist and that she was a great admirer of Anton Pieck, a well-known Dutch artist from Holland.

When I told her that I was Dutch and that my birth announcement card was designed by Anton Pieck, she was just over the moon and from that moment on she used to overload me with gifts.

Even when we moved from The Crown at Goostrey to a pub in Lymm, she used to still - after several years - come in to see me, bringing gifts like handwritten cards, clogs, books, orange balloons (for when the Dutch were playing football)

Her passion for life, Holland, Anton Pieck, was incredible and it makes me realise what a wonderful person she was, so kind-hearted and always laughing.

I left England in 1996 and I never had a chance to say goodbye.

I often thought about her as there are still many gifts from her around my apartment here in Holland.

By pure coincidence, I learned of her death on a two-day visit to England and the Knutsford Guardian lay on my friend's kitchen table.

Reading through your story I felt sad but at the same time extremely honoured and privileged to have known Mrs Cooke.

I was delighted at the way you wrote the article because you described her exactly how I remember her and always will do.

PAULA OVERBEEK

Holland

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.